Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    Re .0:
    
    SuperPlan does everything you mention.  It's a competent spreadsheet
    (I've found a couple of nuisance bugs in my version, and I miss a
    number of features that I've grown used to in other spreadsheets) with
    a rudimentary database, project planning features (it will crank out
    GANTT charts, among other things), and a fairly complete graphing
    (portrait or landscape) capability.
    
    My 16-year-old needed to graph a couple dozen functions this weekend. 
    I set up a SuperPlan spreadsheet to calculate 101 data points and put
    them out as a line graph.  The graphics features allowed me to override
    the automatic ranging and axis labeling features (which work well, but
    for best output, a little custom control is in order).  A title and
    subtitle were centered (by choice) at the top in my choice of SuperPlan
    font/size.  I was able to view the graphics window directly on the
    Amiga screen and to direct it to the printer (PAR:) or to a disk file
    (as a series of escape sequences that could later be copied to PAR:). 
    We chose to produce half-page graphs in portrait mode.  SuperPlan was
    also quite happy to produce full-page graphs in either portait (normal)
    or landscape (sideways) mode.  I haven't yet figured out how to put out
    the graph as an IFF image (perhaps I can't), but what we did worked
    just fine.
    
    I haven't found any Amiga spreadsheets that look more promising at this
    point.  I've examined the documentation of all the popular ones,
    including Gold Disk's Advantage (which also looks pretty good) and
    Analyze! (in various incarnations).  To my mind, SuperPlan is as good
    as any and better than nearly all of them.  NO Amiga spreadsheet
    satisfies ALL my needs, so I've had to compromise a bit (and I've let
    Precision Software know where I feel they've fallen short).

    I own Advantage by Gold Disk. Problem is I haven't had need to use
    it yet,so i'm short on info.However I did play with it enough to
    know it offer a good variety of output.I pulled up a sample file
    generated a graph,and printed it out.I printed it in normal mode
    and it looked a lot like output from some of the other programs
    I have seen(lots of jaggies).Then I saved it as a clip,and then
    pulled it into PPage to print.No jaggies here but all portions were
    filled solid.Last I selected enhanced print mode right out of 
    Advantage.My citizen 24pin color printer gave me an excellent 
    printout,without jaggies,and maintained all colors etc.I am a 
    person that knows nothing about spreadsheets but feel that I could
    manage the Advantage without much trouble.Gold Disk also has a good
    record of updating their products,and is making an effort to intergrate
    their products.If I were you I'd make an effort to at least try
    this package.Anyone that has used spreadsheets before would be able
    to tell if it could meet their demands in a very brief time.BTW
    Advantage also comes with several templates to use as foundations
    for building applications.
    								bill 

    OH! almost forgot. Their is a readme file on the disk that tells
    what limitations the program has in regard to importing 123 files,
    and some other info on limitations with a 512k system.I suggest
    you look at this readme file before making any decisions.
    								bill

    One more thing: Does The Advantage support loading of ASCII Text files?
    By this I mean, numbers (usually) seperated by tabs (which is usually
    how it's done, I think) so that they automaticly go into columns.
    
    Thanks,
    Steve
    

    
    If Advantage supports the Amiga clipboard, then you can use Snap 1.4
    (on the net here) to 'clip' a range of numbers from ANY window or
    screen, switch screens, and then 'paste' them into the spreadsheet.  My
    wife does this with MaxiPlan 1.9 to add lots of rows of numbers.
    
    Ed.

According to the documentation;
        "Clipboard/Paste" Pastes text from the clipboard into successive
    cells of the spreadsheet.A new cell is started each time one or
    more spaces is encountered in the text.A new row is started each
    time a linefeed is encountered.
    
    "Clipboard/Copy Data" Copies the selected range of cell to the Amiga
    clipboard as simple text.Each row of the copy's range is terminated
    by a line feed character.
    
   "Transcript" is also supported on-line.In PPage you select transcript
    and you are placed in the word processor.Then after you have entered
    your text you select the "send home" item and you are back in PPage
    with your text in the active box.I imagine Advantage works in a
    similar way.
    									bill

    Using Transcript you can attach a text file to a cell.To do this
    you must have Transcript running in the background then
    	*select the cell in your spreadsheet
    	* select Commands/cell note/create extended. This brings up
    transcript an allows you to enter a file of any length. later
    to view this text double click on the cell note box in Advantage
    wherever you see the message "Extended cell note".This brings up
    a transcript window showing the full cell note,and allows editing
    it.
								bill

    
    Well, I just ordered The Advantage (Gold Disk) from Safe Harbor.  I
    tried it out at TMC this weekend and it seemed real good.  I especially
    like being able to write out files in 1-2-3 format. (as well as load
    them in)
    
    Safe Harbor told me that they didn't have it in stock, but were
    expecting a shipment tomorrow on it and that it would definatly be
    shipped by tomorrow.  I've heard great things about SH, so I figured
    I'd give them a chance to make themselves shine.
    
    Steve