Is C++ the correct language for me to be using...

[Daedalian]

Hi,

I am a competent XHTML and JavaScript user and my scripting ability ends there! I am trying to learn C++ because I want to automate the following scenario.

On a website I control we have a basic XHTML form where the user can post there details directly to an e-mail address. This all works fine. The problem comes when I want to transfer the information from this e-mail to our Excel spreadsheet. I want to be able to click a link in the e-mail which automatically extracts the information from the e-mail then sends it directly to the Excel spreadsheet.

Firstly, is this possible.

Secondly, if it is possible is C++ the correct language to use.

Thirdly, if so then how advanced is this sort of programming.

Fourthly, does anyone know of an easy alternative which will achieve the same results.

Fifthly, is it worth me spending a few months learning C++ to do this.

And finally, thankyou in advance.

 

[cpjust]

Firstly, I've never tried it, but I'm sure it's possible.

Secondly, you can do it with C++, but something like VBScript or VBA might be easier (again, I've never done it).

Thirdly, in C++ you'd probably have to use something like ODBC which might be pretty advanced if you're new to C++. Since you know scripting languages, VBScript might be easier.

Fourthly, no I don't.

Fifthly, it's always worth it to learn C++. ;-)

 

[baash05]

I'd actually go the other way. I'd have an app that runs on your system. Have the mail go to a specific account.

Write a little mail application that collects all email sent to the account.
When the app receives an email it would import it into the spreadsheet without you needing to press anything.
Now leave the app running all day and it will collect and notify you that new data was recieved.

I find all to often apps that require a user to do something over and over again get really tired really quick, so make it hands off.

There should be some "recipies" out there for email apps. It might be expecting a bit much for a newbie but it could be fun.

I tend to agree with <b>cpjust</b> c++ is a great lang. And best of all no garbage collection.

 

[xwb]

ODBC with Excel has its own breed of problems: you can search but I don't know about insertion/deletion/update of data. You could, however, do that through an external script file in either Javascript or VBScript.

What volume of data are you talking about? Is it in the 10s/100s of Kb or 10s of Mb (pretty big spreadsheet).

You could always try it out in Javascript first and then have a go faster version in C++. That way, you won't be struggling with both the language and algorithm - get the algorithm sorted out and all you have to struggle with is the language.

 

[Daedalian]

Thankyou all for the advice and ideas. I am inclined to go ahead with baash05 and xwb in that I will try a hands off version in javascript first. Looks like my javascript blackbook is going to get a little dog eared...

 

[Daedalian]

Oh and btw, the amount of data that will be transferred is minimal, around about 10kb a week! The size of the spreadsheet, however is about 2mb.