The right tool for the job

From: Lee <Lee_at_Jamtoday.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:34:59 -0600
Message-ID: <h208vj$l8m$1_at_reader1.panix.com>



I have a production system with "i" stages (i is a small number, 5 or 6 tops)

At each moment in time there are N(i) items in progress at stage i.

Lets say I sample the number of items in progress at each stage once each day; so I have i time series which collectively show the state of my production system (in terms of number of items in progress at each stage) over a range of days.

Now I want to create a graph which plots each of the i time series against a common "x" (time) axis simultaneously.

Well, I _could_ put the data onto an Excel sheet and use Excel's graphing features to produce the graph. No problem.

BUT I'ld rather collect the data into a central repository (Oracle database anyone?) so that its in a known place, accessible from "anywhere", under control and available in the future for audit and retrospective studies.

I could use APEX to set up the CRUD part for data entry ,maintenance, and subsequent query; so that part is as easy and cheap (since we've already got APEX in house) as using Excel.

[Quoted] [Quoted] But how do I get the graph? Export the data as csv and import into an Excel sheet? OK, that would work, but shouldnt there be a slicker way to fly?

Can I pick up the data from the schema used by APEX and send it through something like Oracle report writer? Has Oracle report writer got the graph building bits? Or is there another Oracle tool which will do the trick?

In the "bad old days" I might have done something like use Excel with OraExcel (Now called Sql*XL...GJLinker's third party oracle-to-excel connector) in effect using Excel as a front end for data entry and display.

I was hoping that APEX (plus something for the graphics?) would beat that. If not, its back to the future, I guess. Received on Thu Jun 25 2009 - 18:34:59 CEST

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