I want to write a comprehensive program... I think

[grayburn1]

Hi all! I have a question that is somewhat general, I'm really looking for a starting point, or a thread that can help in more depth.

I do consulting work for golf courses - my background is in turf - and as part of my consulting, I often "build" chemical and fertilizer programs for use by golf courses. I make a basic spreadsheet giving rates of product, timing, etc.

Here is what I want to do: I want to build a comprehensive program that will allow me to build these programs based on background formulas, etc.

Example: I want to input all my chemicals and fertilizers with pricing, rates, etc:

Fungicide a $125.47 gal 3 oz / 1000 sq/ft
Fungicide b $54.83 gal 6 oz / 1000 sq/ft

Fertilizer c $1.26 lb 5.35 lbs / 1000 sq/ft

and on and on...

Once I have my data in place I want to be able to build a program using drop-down menus / click boxes, etc - kind of a webform:

Application round (1-14)
Application Date
Program type (Greens, Fairways, Tees, Rough, etc)
Total Area _____ (sq/ft or acres)

Then select my products, the rate we are spraying / spreading at, the volume of water (carrier) we are using (ie 2 gallons/1000, etc).

So for greens there are 10-14 rounds of applications throughout the year so this part would figure out the following:

How much of a product is being used per application
What does that product cost per 1000 sq/feet or acre to apply
What is the total cost of that product per application

Then have it add all the product costs for all rounds for each "program" (greens or fairways or tees ect), add the total usage of product for each "program". Example:

Fungicide A + Fertilizer b = total cost for program
Fungicide A - total product used
Fertilizer B - total product used

Finally, I want to automatically populate "worksheets" that I create for each program:

Round 1 - Greens:

Fungicde A rate spray volume product per tank


I've done this the hard way for some time using various formulas and hand-building each phase and cross-referencing where possible. I really want to be able to have all that work in the background. I want to be able to simply update my database with current pricing/products then "build" each program and have it spit out a report and populate worksheets.

Sorry this is so long. I'm pretty sure I can handle writing it if someone can point me to the starting point(s).

Thanks!

 

[JLGWhiz]

Sit down with pencil and paper and make a block diagram of the process you want to execute. Make a block for each action you need to take, i.e. Make a list of materials, make a list of tools, clear area for nursery, etc. When you have the manual proesses of the operation organized, You can then add into your block diagram the places where you will use a computer aided process. Once you have your block diagram completed, you can then begin to develop your data base using the diagram to identify the types of data you will need to record and manipulate throughout the operation of the project. You will be able to determine which data needs to be maintained in separate columns on your spread sheet for ease of calulation, sorting and other activity. Then you can break data for the project down into segments which which most people who monitor this site would be happy to help you write formulas or code for.