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Preprocessing imported data.

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ErikZ

Programmer
Feb 14, 2001
266
US

I've managed to land in a temp job that, well, could be better. Right now I'm trying to improve an aspect of it. I receive two printed reports, I compare the two, and if I find matching ID numbers, I cross them off of one report.

Yeah, considering it comes from a database, I was stunned at this task also.

So I've managed to get them to at least TRY and send me an electronic version of the two reports. The problem is, the resulting file will look like the printout. Title on every page, page numbers, column headers, the works.

And it's not just single row entries either. For each ID number, there will be at least 2 sub rows. The ones without a ID number in the first column are a subset of the row above it, with a with an ID number. Sometimes these lines contain a sentence that must be kept with the original line.

I'm probably going to have to write some serious VBA for all this, but I'm curious if there is any resources out there that I can use. Or if you guys have any other suggestions.

Ultimately I'd like to import the report into a table. Then I can do all the timesaving stuff that will make my boss's head spin.

(People are already getting excited about this. "An electronic version of the report? Imagine what you could do with that!")

And as much as I'd like the company to send me a useful list, I'll be amazed if they manage to send me anything at all. So access to the database they use and other helpful suggestions along those lines won't work.
 
sounds like a definate hack-job in the making.
even if you have to do this task every day with a pencil while working on a database-sorta thing, i'd start out manually to get the gist of what you'll need to do: pasting the things into Excel, manually deleting rows that you don't need, then importing into Access. get the two tables looking good in Access and write the queries that compare them, spit out a groovy report that blows everybody's skirt up....then push a little harder for a link to the data......
 
It ain't gonna happen. I'm just a cheap temp. It took me 3 weeks to get clearance just to be able to VIEW the reports on the computer.

Also, if I don't have a working system up by next Friday, my boss, and my bosses boss don't want me "Wasting any more time" on this.

On the plus side, I've been hitting the "Help wanted" ads a lot harder because of this job.
 
ok well their loss, right? it's situations like this that keep me reminded that i'll ALWAYS have a job......

good luck.
 
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