Can Excel Handle Dynamic Ground Profile Simulations for Survey Computations?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility of using Excel, specifically its VBA capabilities, to automate computations related to leveling practices and to simulate a dynamic ground profile based on user inputs. Participants explore whether Excel can meet the requirements set by the original poster's professor and consider alternative programming languages if necessary.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • The original poster suggests using Excel for automating leveling computations and simulating ground profiles, questioning if Excel can handle dynamic changes in input data.
  • Some participants propose that BASIC is an easy language to learn, while others suggest that modern programming languages may be more suitable.
  • One participant asserts that VBA can perform any task that other programming languages can, indicating its versatility within Excel.
  • Another participant expresses confusion about how to use VBA for simulations and requests clarification on its operation within Excel.
  • There is a discussion about the relationship between Visual Basic 6.0 and VBA, with some participants stating that they share similarities but operate in different environments.
  • Concerns are raised about the ability to display both automated computations and the ground profile in a single program, with questions about the feasibility of using VB6 for this purpose.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the capabilities of Excel and VBA, with some believing it can meet the requirements while others remain uncertain. There is no consensus on whether the project can be effectively executed in VB6 or VBA, and the discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approach to achieve the desired outcomes.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the learning curve associated with VBA and the need for familiarity with programming concepts. There are unresolved questions about the specific implementation details required to achieve the project's goals.

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My professor wanted us to create a program that will automate the computations for our leveling practices, e.g. Computing height of the instrument when elevation and backsight is given etc. that may be tabulated. I believe excel would be the best bet for that. But he also included that we must also simulate the profile of the ground surface relative to the tabulated data. That if he will change anything from the inputed data, there will be also a change in the simulated ground profile. (I hope you can visualize what i mean). Can excel perform the latter requirement? Or if not, would you recommend me another programming language that can do both?

P.S. I need a language that can be learned easily.

Thanks.
 
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BASIC is about as easy as it gets. I suspect you could do it in EXCEL though, but I'm not familiar enough with EXCEL to state that with certainty.

You are eventually going to have to learn a modern language, which BASIC isn't. Modern BASIC is quite different that early BASIC, and I believe BASIC spun off of FORTRAN.
 
the VBA language behind Excel can do anything that any other computer language can do.
 
I'm not familiar with vba excel stuff. How can i use it in excel for simulation? But first of all, what is vba and how it operates?
Thanks.
 
Visual Basic for Applications is the VB6 programming language but rather than requireing a development enviornment, it runs inside all of the MS Office applications and can be used to extend their capabilities. That is its rasion d'etre, but it is a full programming language and can be used without regard for Office apps.

At one job where I worked, I could not get a dev. environment for VB, so I wrote small utilities in VBA inside Excel. I could have written large utilities had I needed to but didn't.

Since it's a full programming language, the learning curve is a bit steep if you are not familiar with programming BUT that's true of all languages. The simplest language is probabably the (now very primative) original BASIC, which MAY still be available for PCs.
 
About the vba, is it already present in excel or i still need to download it? Could you link some sites for downloading?

On the other side, I have a background on using visual basic 6.0.
 
I'm also wondering if i can make my project on vb. But the problem will be: if i will make a program, it can only be good for the computation of data (for a single run) and i don't know how to work on for the profile of the ground surface. That if i'll click the command button, both of the data will appear.
 
It's always present in Office, no download needed.

If you your project cannot be done in VBA, it cannot be done in any computer language.

If you don't know HOW to do your program in VBA, then you don't know how to do your program in ANY computer language.

What, exactly, is it that you don't know how to do?
 
Wait a minute, I'm a little bit confused regarding the visual-basic-6.0 program and the VBA in excel you're saying. Do they share the same language or not?

With regards to your last question. I have no knowledge of vb's overall application so i don't know if my project can be done on it. My further question would be, is it possible for me to perform it on vb6.0? If yes, how? My main problem is to show the two outputs ,i.e the automated computation and the profile of the ground surface(like a graph), on a single program.
 
  • #10
VBA is VB6 without the Visual Studio dev enviornment.

If you know VB6, you know VBA, but you'll have to learn the environment a little bit. For example, creating controls is similar but not identical.

It doesn't sound, from your vague description, like it should be any problem to do it in VBA.

If you can't figure out how to do it in a computer language, then it doesn't matter what language you are thinking about so FORGET computers for a minute and see if you can write a step by step algorithm that does what you want.

Things like "draw a graph" are NOT a step. Too vague.
 

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