Modding tools: Access vs. Excel

[Ed Kolis]

I know it might seem kind of strange to use MS Office applications to mod SE4, but they are really good at storing & manipulating data... The question is, should I use Access or Excel?

I'll list a few advantages of each:

Access:
-Stores data in named fields rather than arbitrary rows/columns
-Type checking and referential integrity ensure that all fields contain valid data
-Forms can be designed to input data more easily (without having to scroll all over the place)
-Many-to-many correspondence ideal for use with Abilities

Excel:
-Easier for calculating series of similar items (just Fill Down a formula)
-Can record macros that generate VBA code which can then be modified to do whatever you want
-I'm more familiar with VBA for Excel than for Access

Any thoughts? It would be cool to have a master database that you can edit with all the power of a database utility, but I just don't know enough about VBA to make the connections to import and export the data to the .txt files, which is the important part!

[Taera]

im sorry to go OT a little, but why do you people use such advanced tools for modding?

[Zarix]

Even little more OT. I prefer to use OpenOffice. It can do pretty much everything that I need but doesn't cost awfully like MS Office. OpenOffice could be better choice for a modding too because it is easier to get.

[Fyron]

Originally posted by Taera:
im sorry to go OT a little, but why do you people use such advanced tools for modding?

It is extremely useful for making mods with things like Tech Grids or complete changes to the entire game.

[capnq]

If you're modding something that involves a lot of numbers, like weapons or culture bonuses, a spreadsheet can help you see whether things are balanced. (I haven't used anything this complex myself, but my mods haven't been that ambitious.)

[PvK]

I used spreadsheets for designing my Proportions mod, to help with all of the calculations and to get statistics easily and to compare things, to graph the population effect curves, and so on.

I hate MS Abscess, BTW.

PvK