Data entry application

java-programmer, Data entry application Hi,
I am an intermediate computer science student and I am in need of a "macro
type" tool/language that will let me automate a data entry process. The
data entry is rather simple but requires connecting to a server in between
data inputs, which ends up taking a lot of time per entry (about 10 minutes
per complete entry). On average, there are 50 - 100 entries to be made (10
min * 50 entries = one hell of a boring day.) The data that is to be
entered is in Excel, and then I (or some other unlucky person) must enter
the data manually into a prompt/DOS-like program run in the Windows (2000)
environment.

Would you know of anything that could help? Is there a way to do something
like this with any language? What would be required to setup the automation
(in the Windows environment)? I am pondering if a simple Windows
application that replicates key-strokes and has a timer capability would do
the trick (although I doubt it would be able to read the spreadsheets)?

Please let me know if you have any suggestions or comments. My thanks in
advance for any help.

email***@***.com

java-programmer >> Data entry application On Sat, 15 May 2004 17:35:50 GMT, <email***@***.com> wrote:
> Would you know of anything that could help? Is there a way to do
> something
> like this with any language? What would be required to setup the
> automation
> (in the Windows environment)? I am pondering if a simple Windows
> application that replicates key-strokes and has a timer capability would
> do
> the trick (although I doubt it would be able to read the spreadsheets)?

If it is a purely command line program, you may just be able to pipe the
input into it by redirecting stdin or writing each entry to a small file
first:

entry_upload_app.exe < one_entry.txt

one_entry.txt would contain all the keystrokes required to send an entry
and then quit. Not very foolproof, and certainly not reliable, but if it's
being monitored it shouldn't be too bad.

From the point of view of getting the data out, it would probably be
simplest to just export the spreadsheet as CSV which is nice and easy to
read (relatively) or just delimit it with another character (e.g. 卢, which
no one uses anyway).

If you know how the data entry application talks to the server, it would
be pretty trivial to create a quick Java app that reads CSV lines,
converts them to entries and then squirts them down a socket.

HTH,

--
Craig Andrews <email***@***.com>

java-programmer >> Data entry application email***@***.com wrote:
> Hi,
> I am an intermediate computer science student and I am in need of a "macro
> type" tool/language that will let me automate a data entry process. The
> data entry is rather simple but requires connecting to a server in between
> data inputs, which ends up taking a lot of time per entry (about 10 minutes
> per complete entry). On average, there are 50 - 100 entries to be made (10
> min * 50 entries = one hell of a boring day.) The data that is to be
> entered is in Excel, and then I (or some other unlucky person) must enter
> the data manually into a prompt/DOS-like program run in the Windows (2000)
> environment.
>
> Would you know of anything that could help? Is there a way to do something
> like this with any language? What would be required to setup the automation
> (in the Windows environment)? I am pondering if a simple Windows
> application that replicates key-strokes and has a timer capability would do
> the trick (although I doubt it would be able to read the spreadsheets)?
>
> Please let me know if you have any suggestions or comments. My thanks in
> advance for any help.
>

Is there a reason why your using the spread-sheets and the DOS program?

Your breaking one of the primary rules of computing, your transfering
information from a computer program to another program, by hand, this
often means that the data gets polluted, not something you want to do.

Replicating keystrokes is doing this the hard way, there are automation
tools that will do it, but using them is making the harder then it needs
to be. Your thinking inside the box, rather then outside the box.

Data entry, does it need to be in Excel? Two ways of doing this:

First, write a data entry program, this takes all of the entries and
saves them into a CSV format file. A second program reads the CSV file,
and updates the server in a single batch, since Excel can read the CSV
file, you simply load it into Excel and process that way.

Second, you do your extries in Excel, you write a program that uses COM
to open the spread sheet, you read the data, and update the server.

Since the program that updates the server is now completely automated,
you use AT to run it at a time when the computer isn't being used for
something else, doesn't matter if it takes hours.

Paul

java-programmer >> Data entry application Hi Craig,

Thanks for the reply. I am wondering how would I go about making sure that
entry_upload_app.exe 'focuses' on entering the data into the desired program
window? I don't want those key strokes going into entry_upload_app.exe, but
rather, a different opened program... Is there some kind of way to program
an app that will move the mouse, access windows, and hit keys in the Windows
environment?

For your second suggestion, unfortunately, I do not have the knowledge, nor
the 'administrative permission' to send the data down a socket. You do
however make it sound easy to implement... could you elaborate slightly or
direct me to a tutorial/resource?

Thanks again

"Craig Andrews" <email***@***.com> wrote in message
news:opr718idabltmrbp@localhost...
> On Sat, 15 May 2004 17:35:50 GMT, <email***@***.com> wrote:
> > Would you know of anything that could help? Is there a way to do
> > something
> > like this with any language? What would be required to setup the
> > automation
> > (in the Windows environment)? I am pondering if a simple Windows
> > application that replicates key-strokes and has a timer capability would
> > do
> > the trick (although I doubt it would be able to read the spreadsheets)?
>
> If it is a purely command line program, you may just be able to pipe the
> input into it by redirecting stdin or writing each entry to a small file
> first:
>
> entry_upload_app.exe < one_entry.txt
>
> one_entry.txt would contain all the keystrokes required to send an entry
> and then quit. Not very foolproof, and certainly not reliable, but if it's
> being monitored it shouldn't be too bad.
>
> From the point of view of getting the data out, it would probably be
> simplest to just export the spreadsheet as CSV which is nice and easy to
> read (relatively) or just delimit it with another character (e.g. ? which
> no one uses anyway).
>
> If you know how the data entry application talks to the server, it would
> be pretty trivial to create a quick Java app that reads CSV lines,
> converts them to entries and then squirts them down a socket.
>
> HTH,
>
> --
> Craig Andrews <email***@***.com>