The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Excel By Example - for the bookshelf Major Keary |
Excel by Example is written for electronics engineers - it carries the sub-title, A Microsoft Excel Cookbook for Electronic Engineers. However, apart from the specific audience, this book is suitable for anyone who wants to apply the convenience of Excel to any scientific, engineering, technical, or financial application.
The examples are written for Excel, but they can be applied in any of the other spreadsheet applications, such as the one provided in OpenOffice.org. The VBA macros would need to be recast in the scripting language appropriate to other spreadsheet software, but that should not be a problem for anyone familiar with macro programming in languages other than VBA.
For electronics engineers - and anyone with a serious interest in the field - the cookbook format lays out complete 'recipes' for sixteen real-life projects that include: a voltage-to-current converter; Baud rate selection; mean time between failures; counting machine cycles; character generator; 8052 microprocessor register setup; finding optimal resistor combination (LP 2951); resistor colour code decoder using speech input; adjustable voltage reference; 555 timer; vernier caliper interface; interface to a digital multimeter using a serial port; and a function generator interface.
The text is well supported by screen shots and schematic diagrams, and the VBA scripts are included. Throughout there are boxed items that provide hints, explanations, and other useful information. The projects are not simply step-by-step instructions, but contain discussions and other explanatory information.
A companion CD contains ready-to-run, customisable Excel worksheets for each of the applications, and the text of the book in PDF format.
This is an excellent resource for electronics engineers (and enthusiasts), and a great guide to the use of spreadsheet programs to high-end applications. Very well written and presented.
Excel by Example is available direct from Elsevier Australia Customer Service, Ph: 1800 263 951, fax
02 9517 2249 or e-mail service@elsevier.com.au.
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Aubrey Kagan: Excel by Example ISBN 0-7506-776-2 Published by Newnes (an imprint of Elsevier Science), 364 pp. + CD, RRP $64.90 incl. GST |
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Reprinted from the November 2004 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
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