How do I imitate Excel tables?

[JerryAttrick]

I have an Excel project using table data selected with VlookUp and wish to emulate that program with a Delphi version stand-alone executable file. I’m using Delphi 6 free edition (no database components).

1. I looked first at arrays; my columnar data is mixed so no good. Also too clumsy to convert everything to strings and be continually converting back and forth.
2. Then I stumbled across records. I could probably become familiar enough to use them but it seems very involved getting data in, finding it when it’s in there and editing and reviewing it. It’s so easy to scan down an Excel table and make alterations, delete records etc.

Ideally I’d like to copy all the content of the Excel data table into whatever I end up creating in a Delphi emulation, so I’d save all that typing!

Does anybody have any comments or recommendations please? Do I really need to build special forms for inputting and editing data?

 

[svanels]

The free edition is very limited, the pro and enterprise version have a lot of tools.
In these editions you have on the activeX Tab the F1 (Formula 1) component which looks and behave exactly as a spreadsheet. There is a way to make delphi operate on excel spreadsheets (see the FAQ area) but with the free edition this would be impossible.

Steven

 

[JerryAttrick]

Thanks very much for your reply. Just on the off chance I loaded Delphi6, clicked on the Active X tab and placed an 'F1Book' component on the form. It's wonderful - it really looks like a spreadsheet.

Now I have to find out how to put data in (probably very straightforward) and extract data by matching a row entry to a variable in the program (like VLookUp in MS Excel). I'd never looked at items on that tab before!

So much to learn!

Thank you again.