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Rate your level of expertise with Microsoft Excel (any version)

Zen Master

[ 1 ]

[ 2.9% ]

Grasshopper (very good but still learning)

[ 8 ]

[ 22.9% ]

O.K. but need help sometimes

[ 6 ]

[ 17.1% ]

just getting into it

[ 12 ]

[ 34.3% ]

Excel? we don't need no stinkin' Excel

[ 8 ]

[ 22.9% ]

Total valid votes

[ 35 ]

Discarded votes

[ 9 ]

hypersoniq

Pennsylvania
United States
Member #1,340
April 6, 2003
2,581 Posts
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Dec 18, 2005, 11:49 am

let's get an overall feel for the talent pool. I think we may just have one of the best messageboard excel subculture outside of a IT board

Have an EXCELlent day!
lottaloot

Redford/MI
United States
Member #3,396
January 18, 2004
4,867 Posts
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Dec 18, 2005, 12:01 pm

I wish we could have more excel interaction/tutorials, etc.
I really have a desire to learn everything I can about it.
FYI: ANY little bit of info/knowledge that anyone ever wants to share (PLEASE think of me & pm or email me at legaltrends@aol.com)

L ttaL T
four4me

MD
United States
Member #1,701
June 18, 2003
10,731 Posts
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Dec 18, 2005, 12:20 pm

I heard about excel I mean it comes with most computers nowadays. Had no idea you could use it for the lottery numbers. Then one day while here on lottery post I saw posts where people were using it to track numbers and write programs. And a whole new world opened up to me I found that my state lottery had a downloadable excel format for their numbers game. And I went berserk I started dreaming up all kinds of things I'd like to do to try and win money playing the lottery using excel to find the necessary numbers that might hit next.
But the bigger problem was I had no idea how to use it other than tracking and adding new numbers to the data base. I manually created various worksheets to identify numbers for pick 3/4/5/lottery games. I learned some stuff here on lottery post but realize I need to get with someone whom is an expert user if I am to try and learn to write programs or create macro's. I have been looking for a beginners book for excel 98 and couldn't fine one/haven't found one. So many of my worksheet are updated sitting in limbo so to speak waiting for the day I run into someone interested enough to look at my stuff and try and find different ways to use it running the various programs I know an expert user could write.
Some stuff I dreamed up Todd has created already the inspector and deflator were just a few of my ideas I had around the same time he was already working on them. When he created the prediction pages I saw all kinds of opportunities to win money using certain predictors posted picks. These were the people who were at the time posting winning picks on a daily basis. Then Todd created filters so we could omit or add different posters numbers to his resources pages.
One of the things on my wish list and things to do next year is to try and learn how to use excel. Programing has never been my strong suite so I'll have to work very hard to grasp the knowledge to begin using it and learn taking baby steps until I can handle it on my own.
RJOh

100

mid-Ohio
United States
Member #9
March 24, 2001
20,272 Posts
Offline

Dec 18, 2005, 6:07 pm

I never learn anything about Excel, but I did learn a little about Lotus and some other data handling programs before it came along. The company that I retired from offered to pay for computer courses for all its employee who were willing to take classes on their own time and that included learning Excel since it was used a work.
I alway thought it was a good idea for everyone at work learn Excel and be on the same page about how work data was handled to avoid confusion but if everyone handled lottery data the same way they could expect the same results. I preferred to learn a computer program language to write my own unique data handling process.
I understand you can insert VB routines in Excel but if you understand VB you can write your own stand alone program without Excel. Writing VB routines is only a benefit to others who don't know how to get the results they desire and no benefit to a programmer unless he does it to present his data to others.

* you don't need to buy every combination, just the winning ones *
hypersoniq

Pennsylvania
United States
Member #1,340
April 6, 2003
2,581 Posts
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Dec 18, 2005, 8:00 pm

I think Excel is the ideal medium for sharing lottery ideas because of it's large installed user base.
the whole VBA issue is not as easy as it sounds, VB and VBA are similar but since most PCs come with excel and you have to buy VB, excel is the better choice because now you have the power of a spreadsheet AND VB, rather than trying to code the spreadsheet part. VBA can tie in programs from all of office, not just excel. Also, a group of spreadsheet power-users tend to be a bit more open minded and sharing than a group of hardcore programmers.
I had to vote myself as "grasshopper" because I can usually do things myself but usually once a month I will find a formula or macro on the LP that gives me yet another "Why didn't I think of that?" moment... I don't recall having too many moments like that in any of the programming languages on the LP.
What I feel the advantage to excel to be is the ability to display the data all at once, if you have a cumulative formula, you can see it play out visually... I definitely like that for backtesting against a history data set.
Google is quite the resource for free excel tutorials at all levels and for all versions...
http://www.google.com

Have an EXCELlent day!
Snakeyes

Cleveland, Ohio
United States
Member #11,445
February 13, 2005
1,303 Posts
Offline

Dec 18, 2005, 8:04 pm

I've used Excel for about 12 years now. I've learned quite a bit but still learn something new each time I see someone elses work. So, like hypersoniq, I vote myself as "grasshopper"

Snakeyes
Tenaj

Charlotte NC
United States
Member #17,405
June 18, 2005
4,074 Posts
Offline

Dec 18, 2005, 8:05 pm

I used it on my job every day just using simple formulas and linking for statistics. It was nothing compared to the forumlas I seen here on LP.

takeemtothebank
paurths

Switching between Fairfax, VA and Belgium
Belgium
Member #19,286
July 29, 2005
2,254 Posts
Offline

Dec 18, 2005, 9:01 pm

Quote: Originally posted by hypersoniq on December 18, 2005
I think Excel is the ideal medium for sharing lottery ideas because of it's large installed user base.
the whole VBA issue is not as easy as it sounds, VB and VBA are similar but since most PCs come with excel and you have to buy VB, excel is the better choice because now you have the power of a spreadsheet AND VB, rather than trying to code the spreadsheet part. VBA can tie in programs from all of office, not just excel. Also, a group of spreadsheet power-users tend to be a bit more open minded and sharing than a group of hardcore programmers.
I had to vote myself as "grasshopper" because I can usually do things myself but usually once a month I will find a formula or macro on the LP that gives me yet another "Why didn't I think of that?" moment... I don't recall having too many moments like that in any of the programming languages on the LP.
What I feel the advantage to excel to be is the ability to display the data all at once, if you have a cumulative formula, you can see it play out visually... I definitely like that for backtesting against a history data set.
Google is quite the resource for free excel tutorials at all levels and for all versions...
http://www.google.com

VB vs Cellfunctions:
Try to write a function that will quicksort a multidimensional array, with one of the arguments being the field to sort on.
VB, compiled, will process it a thousand times faster.
In excel you'll have to copy the function into every cell, making your spreadsheet pretty slow.
Then again, you could use VBA, "crossplatform" (what's in a name) concerning Excel, Access, Word & even Powerpoint etc. A joke, so it seems, VBA is not even consistant within the entire Office-suite...
hypersoniq

Pennsylvania
United States
Member #1,340
April 6, 2003
2,581 Posts
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Dec 18, 2005, 9:10 pm

If I were writing a clearly defined, well thought out program, VB or even C++ for sure, but in the whole confusion of trying new ideas and seeing rapid changes... I found VBA to be enough. Should I find something that warrants the move, coding wouldn't be out of the question. I did that for comparing RNG results with seed manipulation in VB6 because it was orders of magnitude faster than excel for the same operations.
I have yet to see anything run faster than compiled C++ on Linux, but could you imagine the questions we would get sharing that code?

Have an EXCELlent day!
paurths

Switching between Fairfax, VA and Belgium
Belgium
Member #19,286
July 29, 2005
2,254 Posts
Offline

Dec 18, 2005, 9:35 pm

Quote: Originally posted by hypersoniq on December 18, 2005
If I were writing a clearly defined, well thought out program, VB or even C++ for sure, but in the whole confusion of trying new ideas and seeing rapid changes... I found VBA to be enough. Should I find something that warrants the move, coding wouldn't be out of the question. I did that for comparing RNG results with seed manipulation in VB6 because it was orders of magnitude faster than excel for the same operations.
I have yet to see anything run faster than compiled C++ on Linux, but could you imagine the questions we would get sharing that code?
blnHyperSoniq = True!
Before i even think about implementing new stuff into VB i first try it out in MS Access.
Way faster in developing (the forms are all there, objects are easy to place, ...)
If i think it's worth it, i put time in it to implement it into VB.
And ofcourse, C++ of C# is way faster, no wonder, ofcourse...
But sometimes i get really tired of putting all "the new stuff" into trial, over and over again writing code that, in the end, leads nowhere...
But still, in persuit (or pursuit? don't know this word...) of the ... software...
btw, will LDR 5 hit NY midday tomorrow?
And, will LDR 2 hit IL midday tomorrow?
And, will LDR 4 hit PA midday tomorrow?
hypersoniq

Pennsylvania
United States
Member #1,340
April 6, 2003
2,581 Posts
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Dec 18, 2005, 10:45 pm

VB.net holds it's own since they implemented that intermediate layer in visual studio.net. The way MS touts it, I am beginning to think .net language choice is merely a matter of preference since it all gets compiled into the same intermediade code before being squished into a binary executable. I wonder why they just don't show you how to code in that language? (MSIL=Microsoft Intermediate Language)

Have an EXCELlent day!
time*treat

United States
Member #13,130
March 30, 2005
2,171 Posts
Offline

Dec 20, 2005, 12:45 am

hmmm... C+, etc., faster, better, stronger...blah blah blah.
I don't need all that #include <stdio.headache>
I prefer VB & variants. I can describe a new idea in english, and the code is almost written. Given todays pc speeds, or last weeks for that matter, if process speed is a factor, the code needs to be reworked. If it pulls winners, I'll let it run half the night.

In neo-conned Amerika, bank robs you.
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms should be the name of a convenience store, not a govnoment agency.
hypersoniq

Pennsylvania
United States
Member #1,340
April 6, 2003
2,581 Posts
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Dec 26, 2005, 1:50 pm

hmmm... no zen masters yet...

Have an EXCELlent day!
truecritic

Michigan
United States
Member #22,394
September 24, 2005
1,583 Posts
Offline

Dec 26, 2005, 2:58 pm

Out of 29,000+ members and only 32 votes? The odds are in your favor that a Master exists!
Rip Snorter

New Mexico
United States
Member #12,305
March 10, 2005
2,984 Posts
Offline

Dec 26, 2005, 10:44 pm

I use excel to the extent I'm able to puzzle it out, which is barely. Took me longer to figure out just how to convert number databases into an excel format than was required to learn to get word processing function and spreadsheet function out of my first 32K Kaypro back in 1982.
Thanks to hyper and suggestions from some others on LP I'm able to sort numbers, which I couldn't do for several months despite studying the help screens, but I haven't yet managed the one step beyond to be able to make histogram work.
I think I'd qualify as being about three steps on the wrong side of a 'NOVICE' level, but it's still a miracle, still something I'd hate to have to do without.
Jack

Absorb the good, ignore the bad, weigh the ugly.
It's about number behavior.
Egos don't count.

Dedicated to the memory of Big Loooser

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