Newbie needs help with appending data 1

[Guest_imported]

Hi,
I am new to 1-2-3 and I am a bit confused. Here is my problem: I am trying to change a time/date column to include nanoseconds (as required by my database). In Word Pro I can use "Find and Replace" which allows me to use the wild card ^*, but in 1-2-3 I cannot seem to make this work since it does not appear to support wild cards.
Basically my columns look like this (just an example, all different);
1999-11-09 12:38:36
But I need them to look like this;
1999-11-09 12:38:36:000000

OR
drop the time

1999-11-09

I tried recording a script but it would only replace it with an exact number and would not append. What am I doing wrong?
By hand is out of the question as there are 380,000 rows...

Thanks for your help!

 

[DaleWatson123321]

Hi cb408,

Because you are new to 123 and have possibly been "led by the masses" down the "Microsoft Visual Basic road" (I am told Lotus Script is basically a clone of VB), I feel sorry for you (and the other VB & Script users) who I witness experiencing terrible pains in re-creating programs I created "with ease" using the traditional programming language of Lotus 123 - called simply "Macros", but should have been given a REAL name such as "SNAP" - Super Natural Application Programming.

After that long-winded intro, the bottom line is that I see no one has offered to help you, probably because of the same difficulty I just mentioned. Therefore, please accept the following relatively simple "SNAP" code which you will appreciate is very simple but yet very powerful - which is exactly what makes it a far superior language to VB or Script.

As this is not the best environment for writing code, please feel free to email me - Dale Watson - nd.watson@home.com, and I will send you the actual file. Meanwhile here is the code.
Range
Name Code Explanation
------- --------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\q {wpoff} Calls subroutine for turning off Windows and Panel updating.

convert {CONTENTS target;@CELLPOINTER("address&quot}
Transfers the content of current cell to "target", while converting the content to a label, and maintaining the full format.
{LET target,@TRIM(target)}
Trims any "trailing space(s)" from the right side of the original date and time (there is 1 trailing space when the function @NOW is used).
{LET target,@REPLACE(TARGET,10,1," &quot}
With Excel 97's @NOW function, it places a hyphen between Day and Hours. In your example, you have a space (preferable). This line replaces the hyphen with a space.
{LET @CELLPOINTER("address&quot,target&":000000"}
Adds the nanosecond format you require.
{D}{IF @CELLPOINTER("type&quot="b"}{GOTO}firstcell~{wpon}{QUIT}
Moves cursor down to next row. If cell is blank, goes to "firstcell", turns Window/Panel on, and quits.
{BRANCH convert}
Loops back to "convert".

target 2001-06-24 01:55:53:000000
This is an arbitrary cell used for conversion.

wpoff {WINDOWSOFF}{PANELOFF}
{INDICATE "Conversion in Progress..."}
Turns off Window/Panel updating - speeds up the process tremendously.

wpon {WINDOWSON}{PANELON}{INDICATE}
Turns the Window/Panel back on.

firstcell 2001-06-24-02:25:55 This is of course a sample block of the data 2001-06-24-02:25:58 representing the data you need to convert.
2001-06-24-02:26:00
2001-06-24-02:26:02
2001-06-24-02:26:04
2001-06-24-02:26:06

Hope you find this useful. If you have any difficulty, don't hesitate to email me - nd.watson@home.com

Regards, ....Dale Watson

P.S. There is "some action" on the internet about "revamping a program called "Visual Baler" (not to be confused with Visual Basic). Visual Baler is a spreadsheet compiler which surfaced in the 1980's in the DOS World. It was a relatively effective product, but when the company attempted to convert to Windows, the burden caused them to "go under". Their Windows version (currently version 2.5) simply has too many bugs to be effective, but with the bugs fixed, it has SERIOUS POTENTIAL - to become the PREMIERE Programming Language of all time - at least for small and medium sized applications, and perhaps even for some large applications.

Visual Baler portrayed its package as being the ONLY software which permitted the average computer user to develop serious applications - WITHOUT having to drop their "Day Job" to become a Career Computer Programmer - as has been the case with most everyone else using languages such as Visual Basic or Lotus Script.

The lastest info regarding Visual Baler, is that someone has offered financial backing to develop a 32-bit version - and free from bugs. These people have been conducting a survey (mainly of current Visual Baler users) to determine things like: their interest, the cost they would be prepared to pay, features they would like included, etc.

I certainly support such an effort, and would not hesitate to purchase the new product. I feel strongly, though, that the best decision the new financiers can make, is to negotiate a contract with Lotus 123 (now owner by IBM), as Visual Baler uses an enhanced version of the simple but powerful Lotus macros (SNAP), and is a large part of the reason why Visual Baler is so attractive (minus the bugs).

Of course the other major reason for Visual Baler's attractiveness, is that it is the ONLY spreadsheet compiler. I heard from a former Visual Baler employee that Lotus Corporation had once considered Visual Baler a threat. This probably contribued to Visual Baler's demise (acutally currently "stagnant with too many bugs to be useful&quot.

If these players (Visual Baler financiers and Lotus Corporation) can make time to "work together" on this new 32-bit version of Visual Baler, I have NO DOUBT IN THE WORLD, that it will attract the vast majority of "average PC users" who desperately want to begin creating meaninful applications - WITHOUT having to drop their current career and become a Computer Programmer, and WITHOUT the tedious and time consuming effort which is REQUIRED with Visual Baler and Lotus Script. This is an opportunity for Lotus Corporation and Visual Baler to "team up" and create a "NEW GENERATION" software product for the "masses" - rather than for a relatively select few Computer Programmers who spend considerably more time in attempting to create applications than do Lotus 123 users who use the traditional "SNAP" language.

One of Lotus Corporation's concerns apparently has been the potential loss of revenue if Visual Baler users create compiled applications which do not require end-users to purchase Lotus 123. Especially now that Lotus Corporation (IBM) has clearly lost the lead to Microsoft's Excel (which experts have confided is a FAR INFERIOR product), perhaps Lotus Corporation will re-examine their positon vis-a-vis teaming up with Visual Baler. It should not be considered "rocket science" to come up with a marketing plan which would require users (who purchase the add-on Visual Baler) to comply with a requirement to pay Lotus Corporartion / Visual Baler a ROYALTY for each of the "third-party" software packages they sell. As such a developer of such software, I would VERY CLEARLY be willing to pay a ROYALTY for each copy of products which I sell. Lotus Corp. needs to appreciate also, that most of these third-party applications are "UNIQUE" and have little to do with regular spreadsheet type activity. Therefore, if an end-user requires regular spreadsheet use, they would not hesitate to purchase copies of Lotus 123 - IN ADDITION to products created with Lotus/Visual Baler software. In fact, because of a Visual Baler "add-on" to Lotus 123, Lotus 123 will gain much more popularity, and will have a much better opportunity to regain its former position as the World's leading spreadsheet. Afterall, it IS a much better product than Excel, and therefore only needs to add "something special" (like Visual Baler) to "catch the World's attention".

Interest in Visual Basic (and Lotus Script) seems to be subsiding, and this underscores the obvious "open-door" position for a "NEW GENERATION" product such as Lotus 123 with (enhanced) "SNAP" and its add-on spreadsheet compiler (again with an extra set of enhancements to "SNAP". A primary example of Visual Baler's enhancements has been its supurb SECURITY - which is an area where Lotus 123 leaves much to be desired.

Well.......did I ever get "carried away" ...but it sure felt good to "vent" and "get it off my chest". I just hope someone out there in a position of authority - perhaps with IBM / Lotus Corporation and Visual Baler, will "happen to be listening", or perhaps readers will find a way to forward this item to "that right person" who can make a difference.

I hope you have found this background info interesting, and that it provides a more in-depth understanding of the history of the "spreadsheet world".

...Dale Watson ... nd.watson@home.com

 

[DaleWatson123321]

Thanks for the "STAR".

I see that someone took the time to read my rather lengthy submission, and recently gave me the STAR. ...THANKS.

I hope the STAR was in recognition of the points I raised about the need for the computer world to adopt a MUCH BETTER programming language than Visual Basic and Lotus Script (clone of Visual Basic) - AND the need to have a spreadsheet COMPILER ...to allow users to create specialized, stand-alone, tamper-proof applications.

As referred to in my previous posting, these two items ALREADY EXIST - in the form of Lotus 123's "regular" programming language (which I call "SNAP" - for Super Natural Application Programming), and VISUAL BALER which is a spreadsheet compiler.

I am hoping that LOTUS (now owned by IBM) will "team up" with the owners of VISUAL BALER, and create this long-awaited product which will, with a little promotion, re-position this new "combined spreadsheet/compiler" as THE software development software of the 21st Century.

If any readers have any "connections" to Lotus / IBM, please "pull a string" or whatever you can to gain their attention. They will thank you immensely once they appreciate the FULL potential of this proposed merger between Lotus 123 and Visual Baler.

Finally, I want to correct one of the paragraphs in the previous posting, wherein I mistakenly switched the words "Visual BALER" for "Visual BASIC". The "corrected" paragraph follows...

If these players (Visual Baler financiers and Lotus Corporation) can make time to "work together" on this new 32-bit version of Visual Baler, I have NO DOUBT IN THE WORLD, that it will attract the vast majority of "average PC users" who desperately want to begin creating meaningful applications - WITHOUT having to drop their current career and become a Computer Programmer, and WITHOUT the tedious and time consuming effort which is REQUIRED with Visual BASIC ---(Not Visual BALER)--- and Lotus Script. This is an opportunity for Lotus Corporation and Visual Baler to "team up" and create a "NEW GENERATION" software product for the "masses" - rather than for a relatively select few Computer Programmers who spend considerably more time in attempting to create applications than do Lotus 123 users who use the traditional "SNAP" language.

Thanks again for taking the time to read this, and a BIG THANKS if you can somehow "get through" to IBM. Please feel free to use any or all of this posting.

Regards, ...Dale Watson nd.watson@home.com