[macvoiceover] Re: A quick look at Numbers.
- From: Ian Edwards <ianedwards42@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Mac Voiceover list Mac Voiceover List <macvoiceover@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 11:50:59 -0700
I was so hoping this would be a solution too. Based on your suggestion I
started looking at whetehr or not Numbers could generate the types of reports I
need. I pretty soon realized that this is basically what database
designers/builders have done for you, they take a table of information and
allow you to work with it based on rules/formulas. They just did all the work
of compiling the formulas and functions. The support documentation for Bento
actually says that the one view, can’t remember which one but it’s probably
table view or something simple like that, allows you to read the data just like
a spreadsheet.
Ah well, Time to look more into Tap Forms. The developer lists Voiceover
accessibility as one of his best features, and it’s a lot cheaper to try than
Filemaker.
Ian
On Jan 23, 2014, at 11:35 AM, Keith Reedy <keithreedy@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Ian,
>
> I had hoped that this would be an answer for you, but, I can see that you may
> very well need a database, however I don't know of any. Although Filemaker
> may be an answer I don't think that it is very accessible.
>
> You may want to take a look at LibreOffice, or, OpenOffice which both have a
> database function again I don't think the accessibility is there.
>
> You may want to try making smaller databases for shorter periods of time.
> Good luck my friend.
> We are Braille Bible printers,
> http://biblesfortheblind.org
> Keith Reedy
> keithreedy@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>
>
> On Jan 23, 2014, at 11:51 AM, Ian Edwards <ianedwards42@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> Thanks Keith, good prmer, people just getting into spreadsheets should pay
>> attention to it and follow the steps, save yourself some head scratching.
>>
>> An advantage to Numbers with Voiceover is that the headers are read out as
>> you arrow through. So for example if you’re 30 or 40 rows deep and 20
>> columns over you don’t have to remember which record you’re on. I’ve had
>> some issues converting rows and columns into headers when I added them
>> later, mostly this was from inattention.
>>
>> On the issue of a spreadsheet vs. a true database, most people switch to a
>> database once the spreadsheet becomes unweildy. For example, my volunteer
>> hours tracking spreadsheet for the renovation phase of our cafe opening had
>> about 90 columns for dates, and 70 rows for volunteer name. I then had to
>> create formulas to add up the numbers, and if I wanted to find out if Steve
>> worked on August 23, I would have to arrow down to his row, then arrow over
>> to August 23 and read if there was a number there for how many hours I
>> logged for him. Voiceover reads out the dates as I go, because I put them in
>> a header row.
>>
>> In a database, the information from the table is presented differently. To
>> use my previous example, Steve would have a record that presents all the
>> information in his row in a usable form. Like Steve’s contact information,
>> and than a list of the days he worked and his total hours. Basically it
>> leaves out all the blanks that you would have to arrow through. If you set
>> it up right, you can also have the database report on another variable, like
>> the record of each date or event. So instead of scrolling through my
>> Evernote list of the people who came to the volunteer appreciation party, I
>> would ask the database for everyone who had that date or event associated
>> with their record.
>>
>> This isn’t an issue for small amounts of data, I decided that for the 90 or
>> so dates and the 70 or so volunteers, and the types of information I would
>> need to query, as long as I had the total hours a volunteer worked being
>> calculated automatically, it was no big deal to scroll around with the arrow
>> keys. I’m right at the threshold of the data becoming unweildy, as we’ve
>> added in another 40 or so volunteers, and now would like to include on their
>> record whether or not they were part of the renovation crew, what shifts
>> they are available for etc. This is the threshold for whether or not I learn
>> and build a database or stick with a spreadsheet. Bento was looking good for
>> this, but it went away. I’m actually glad I’m not on Windows anymore, as I
>> would be tempted to go back to Microsoft Access, which is a beast. So now
>> I’m looking for a simple accessible database.
>>
>> Cheers, hope this laying out of thoughts was helpful.
>>
>> Ian
>>
>> On Jan 23, 2014, at 8:43 AM, Keith Reedy <wa9dro@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>> Ian and others,
>>>
>>> This is old, but, as far as I know it still works mostly this way,
>>> SNIP!
>>>
>>> I am going to give this a shot. Try to use the information I supply to do
>>> what you want to do with numbers. I am not good at spread sheets, but,
>>> here goes.
>>>
>>> The thing I do most with numbers is to create databases.
>>>
>>> When you open numbers it opens to a layout area, interact twice. Now you
>>> can move through these cells with just the arrowkeys.
>>> Row 1 along the top is the header cells which allow you to name the columns.
>>>
>>> Column 1 will allow you to name the rows.
>>>
>>> Column 1 row 1 I mite put name of food
>>>
>>> column 2 row 1 how do you like it.
>>> column 3 row 1 I would put how much do you want.
>>>
>>> Now, lets go back to column 1 row 1 and downarrow once to row 2 just under
>>> kind of food and I would put bacon.
>>>
>>> arrow once to the right and you will hear, bacon how do you like it and I
>>> would start typing fried.
>>>
>>> arrow once again to the right and you will hear, bacon how much do you want
>>> and I would start typing, lots
>>>
>>> Now, you can go back to column 1 and arrow down once to the next row and
>>> type the name of another food, lets say stake and arrow once to the right
>>> and it will say stake and ask how do you like it and again and it will say
>>> stake and ask you how much and so on
>>>
>>> Each layout area will have 13 columns and 45 rows and if that is not
>>> enough, you can add what you need.
>>>
>>> I hope that this will be of some help to you folks.
>>>
>>> Keith Reedy.Click the link below to download MP3's of Keith Reedy's music
>>> as a gift from Bibles For The Blind.
>>>
>>> http://biblesfortheblind.org/download_music.shtml
>>>
>>> God gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him. J Hudson Taylor.
>>>
>>>
>>>>
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>>
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>
>>
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