Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!know!news.cs.indiana.edu!noose.ecn.purdue.edu!gn.ecn.purdue.edu!jess
From: jess@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (Jess M Holle)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: Re: Wings vs. Excel (was Excel Contour Maps)
Message-ID: <1991Apr15.200501.11491@gn.ecn.purdue.edu>
Date: 15 Apr 91 20:05:01 GMT
References: <1991Apr10.212728.5934@cc.helsinki.fi> <1991Apr11.013943.26293@gn.ecn.purdue.edu> <1991Apr12.232924.10786@aeras.uucp>
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Lines: 43

In article <1991Apr12.232924.10786@aeras.uucp> rob@aeras.UUCP (Rob Rogers) writes:
>One of the problems is that dates are stored differently between the two
>programs, so you have to redo them from scratch (Excel starts its dates
>from 1904, Wings from 1900, I think).

Although you may encounter problems with some formulas involving dates which
rely on the numeric storage format, Wingz does provide scripts to translate
between its date format and others.

>Another problem is the way they want the information tabulated.  To do
>a sales chart in Excel you would input:
>
>	|Quarter #1 |Quarter #2 |Quarter #3 |Quarter #4 |
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>Sales   |       1000|       2000|       2300|       2400|
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>Cost    |        300|        320|        210|        270|
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>
>whereas in Wings you would input:
>
>          |  Sales |  Cost |
>------------------------------
>Quarter #1|    1000|    300|
>------------------------------
>Quarter #2|    2000|    320|
>------------------------------
>Quarter #3|    2300|    210|
>------------------------------
>Quarter #4|    2400|    270|
>------------------------------
>
>to get the same chart! Otherwise, Wings uses the Sales and Cost figures as
>the time input, and you get a really goofy chart.

Actually, Wingz can interpret either table in either way. The interpretation
method is controlled by two menu options: Horizontal Parsing and Vertical
Parsing.

Jess Holle

Disclaimer: I use Wingz a lot for reports, projects, etc, but otherwise have
no connection.