Communicate with database!

Excel may use different databases. It can pull data from databases such as MS SQL Server, MS Access, Oracle, MYSQL using SQL codes, and after processing this data it can bring them to the reports in Excel pages. For example, we can reach a website that uses MySQL database from our own computer, and we can move the information in the site to an Excel page with one button. Moreover, we can record the entries we make to Excel to the database of the web site.

Remote Access to Web Database

The sites that broadcast over the Web communicate with the databases installed in their websites in the background. All the web content is recorded in this database, necessary information is taken according to browsed page and displayed in browser. Entering data to site can be done by either knowing web programming codes (html, php, asp, etc.) and through the use of these codes, or through some Content Management Systems (Joomla, Drupal, etc.) or through the admin panel as in ready-made e-trade systems (Virtuemart, etc.).

In situations when multi-data entry and update is necessary, for example in shopping sites that makes a lot of product entries, entering the products one by one from admin panel causes boredom and loss of time for the user. Whereas, you can arranged the data entries in Excel in any way you want and record it our site’s database with a single button.

We have already stated that Excel has powerful reporting features. One of these is pivot tables. By using pivot table tool, you can do automatic data sorting, calculating, merging and total acquiring; and you can make reporting in another page with the revealed summarized information. At the same time, you can use other functions of Excel, decorate it with visual features, create pivot tables and report from a large amount of data.

“Data mining” process steps in when we are converting data, which is in large amounts and collected in a fast way, to a meaningful information through various analysis. When we examine the definitions of data mining, one common point in those definitions are “a lot of” data is being held in a database and secondly, “meaningful” information is obtained from the data. 

Data mining is the process where, based on the various data held in the database, we reveal information which wasn’t discovered before, and using them in the process of making decisions and realizing an action plan.

Talk with Database!
Excel is a program that bears very strong properties. One of these properties is the ability to use different databases. You can draw data from databases such as MS SQL Server, MS Access, Oracle, MYSQL using SQL codes, process this data and carry it to our reports in Excel pages.

Database Programming
The example below shows how data kept in MS Access is taken to Excel pages. Data comprising of hundreds and millions of lines kept in the relevant tables in MS Access, are taken to Excel pages through OLEDB (Object Linking and Embedding Database) ve ADO (ActiveX Data Objects) methods. In this process carried out with Excel VBA codes, data is processed and brought to the reports on the Excel page as meaningful information.

Data Integrity - Qualified Data!

The importance of data management is not sufficiently understood by many companies. The contribution of data management on the success of company’s operations is usually ignored. Whenas data quality has a vital importance. Many large companies invest thousands, or even millions of liras to their management data systems in order to enhance their operations and make it more efficient. However, regardless of how perfect and expensive these systems are, the accuracy of their output completely depends on the data they contain.

What is Modeling!
Examining a physical system such as an industrial facility or an establishment system by a trial and error method, breaking it down and re-designing can be extremely costly and long process. Instead of this, making calculations on a model which is a mathematical equivalent consisting of equations representing the behaviors of the system may make our jobs much easier.

For example; in order to forecast where a bus whose speed is 90 km in an hour will be in 3 hours, we don’t need to get on the bus and travel for 3 hours. According to Newton’s motion law, the mathematical formula of the distance we will make is Distance = Speed x Time. If we accept the bus’ behavior as linear and doesn’t change in time (doesn’t slow down, doesn’t make stops, etc.) we can solve this mathematical model, and forecast that bus will be 270 km ahead after 3 hours.