spreadsheet dataentry

Quick thought on your blueprint:
https://blueprints.launchpad.net/dhis2/+spec/spreadsheet-dataentry

There are so many nice grid controls out there and they are getting
better and faster all the time. Couldn't we relatively easily
implement grid-like data entry along the lines you suggest by using
something like jqGrid (http://www.trirand.com/blog/\) - seeing that
jquery is our blessed javascript framework? Looking at the demos
http://www.trirand.com/jqgrid35/jqgrid.html I'd say that doing exactly
what you describe would be pretty straightforward inside DHIS2 - which
means we could also implement min-max etc and regulate access to the
database through our api. And with a bit of artful dodging you could
make it look sufficiently excel-like to keep the punters with the
"special editions" happy.

I'm not volunteering - just adding my 2c.

Cheers
Bob

Hi,

I think the main reason for this request is to accommodate completely off-line and non-DHIS2 data entry processes in order to reach out to places with computers where you do not have capacity (or it don’t make sense) to support installations and maintenance of a system like DHIS 2.

Still, for other use cases where grid-based data entry inside DHIS 2 is requested I think we should look into these tools as this is something that could really speed up data entry of relatively simple forms that are possible to do for many orgunits or periods at a time. Note that we support grid -based data entry already, either trough custom forms or standard forms for multidimensional data elements, BUT these do not support using multiple orgunits and/or periods.

best regards,
Ola Hodne Titlestad
HISP
University of Oslo

···

On Mon, May 25, 2009 at 11:09 PM, Bob Jolliffe bobjolliffe@gmail.com wrote:

Quick thought on your blueprint:

https://blueprints.launchpad.net/dhis2/+spec/spreadsheet-dataentry

There are so many nice grid controls out there and they are getting

better and faster all the time. Couldn’t we relatively easily

implement grid-like data entry along the lines you suggest by using

something like jqGrid (http://www.trirand.com/blog/) - seeing that

jquery is our blessed javascript framework? Looking at the demos

http://www.trirand.com/jqgrid35/jqgrid.html I’d say that doing exactly

what you describe would be pretty straightforward inside DHIS2 - which

means we could also implement min-max etc and regulate access to the

database through our api. And with a bit of artful dodging you could

make it look sufficiently excel-like to keep the punters with the

“special editions” happy.

I’m not volunteering - just adding my 2c.

Cheers

Bob


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Hi,

I think the main reason for this request is to accommodate completely off-line and non-DHIS2 data entry processes in order to reach out to places with computers where you do not have capacity (or it don’t make sense) to support installations and maintenance of a system like DHIS 2.

Ola is right, though one specific use case I have in mind is infrequent (say yearly) data collection from professionals who don’t have the time to get familiar with a new system and are very comfortable with spreadsheets. There is of course also the desire to have minimal downloads, and its hard to beat an xls or odf file in size. But it would be great if we in most cases could deploy DHIS “ultralite”, especially in cases where we can assume JRE to be present.

Still, for other use cases where grid-based data entry inside DHIS 2 is requested I think we should look into these tools as this is something that could really speed up data entry of relatively simple forms that are possible to do for many orgunits or periods at a time. Note that we support grid -based data entry already, either trough custom forms or standard forms for multidimensional data elements, BUT these do not support using multiple orgunits and/or periods.

Yes indeed, I think it is very important for us to focus a bit more on data entry again - it needs to become more flexible and efficient, and must be responsive. Being able to select the dimensions along which data is entered as Ola describes will make it a much more versatile tool, supporting many more use cases and scenarios. We have also received a list of other desirable properties, I’ll leave them for a separate email.

Knut

···

On Tue, May 26, 2009 at 12:18 PM, Ola Hodne Titlestad olati@ifi.uio.no wrote:

best regards,
Ola Hodne Titlestad
HISP
University of Oslo

On Mon, May 25, 2009 at 11:09 PM, Bob Jolliffe bobjolliffe@gmail.com wrote:

Quick thought on your blueprint:

https://blueprints.launchpad.net/dhis2/+spec/spreadsheet-dataentry

There are so many nice grid controls out there and they are getting

better and faster all the time. Couldn’t we relatively easily

implement grid-like data entry along the lines you suggest by using

something like jqGrid (http://www.trirand.com/blog/) - seeing that

jquery is our blessed javascript framework? Looking at the demos

http://www.trirand.com/jqgrid35/jqgrid.html I’d say that doing exactly

what you describe would be pretty straightforward inside DHIS2 - which

means we could also implement min-max etc and regulate access to the

database through our api. And with a bit of artful dodging you could

make it look sufficiently excel-like to keep the punters with the

“special editions” happy.

I’m not volunteering - just adding my 2c.

Cheers

Bob


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Cheers,
Knut Staring

Hi,

I think the main reason for this request is to accommodate completely
off-line and non-DHIS2 data entry processes in order to reach out to places
with computers where you do not have capacity (or it don't make sense) to
support installations and maintenance of a system like DHIS 2.

OK. Basically looking at a thick client for data entry where lite is
not lite enough. I suppose options range from office suite
spreadsheets to DHIS 1.4 to some lightweight custom binary [I feel a
QT moment coming on. Or a Tk::table. Outputting dxf or sdmx/hd].

Its easy enough to configure openoffice to load and save in a custom
xml format (ixf, sdmx hd, dxf ...). I guess the same is true of ms
office (at least 2007) but I don't own a copy to play with.

Regards
Bob

···

2009/5/26 Ola Hodne Titlestad <olati@ifi.uio.no>:

Still, for other use cases where grid-based data entry inside DHIS 2 is
requested I think we should look into these tools as this is something that
could really speed up data entry of relatively simple forms that are
possible to do for many orgunits or periods at a time. Note that we support
grid -based data entry already, either trough custom forms or standard forms
for multidimensional data elements, BUT these do not support using multiple
orgunits and/or periods.

best regards,
Ola Hodne Titlestad
HISP
University of Oslo

On Mon, May 25, 2009 at 11:09 PM, Bob Jolliffe <bobjolliffe@gmail.com> > wrote:

Quick thought on your blueprint:
https://blueprints.launchpad.net/dhis2/+spec/spreadsheet-dataentry

There are so many nice grid controls out there and they are getting
better and faster all the time. Couldn't we relatively easily
implement grid-like data entry along the lines you suggest by using
something like jqGrid (http://www.trirand.com/blog/\) - seeing that
jquery is our blessed javascript framework? Looking at the demos
http://www.trirand.com/jqgrid35/jqgrid.html I'd say that doing exactly
what you describe would be pretty straightforward inside DHIS2 - which
means we could also implement min-max etc and regulate access to the
database through our api. And with a bit of artful dodging you could
make it look sufficiently excel-like to keep the punters with the
"special editions" happy.

I'm not volunteering - just adding my 2c.

Cheers
Bob

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