What is the best way to use tables?
Should I create spreadsheets and import the values from the spreadsheet?
or
Should I create matrices and save them as snippets and copy them into the current calculation then hide them?
or
Is there a way to import from other SMath calcs where I can create large Matrices?

Maybe this is preference? Is one easy/better than the other?

Thanks again!

Hmmm, for some reason my post response disappeared.

First thank you for the response.

A few follow up questions:


What do you mean by this?

In following situation what would you suggest?
I'd like to make an excel workbook with multiple worksheets which contain different material properties and sections. So say a concrete sheet, steel, masonry, etc. I would be using this data workbook for calculations on a few different computers so I'd like to make relative references to the data workbook (spreadsheet).
Also I'm thinking I would make snippets that I would use in my calculations. So for example:
You create a new calculations smath page. You need to design a steel beam. You go to snippets and select steel beam. This adds the calculation to the page. You input your design forces, then select a beam size. The calculation finds all the necessary beam properties in the data workbook/spreadsheet which is in the same folder as the smath calculation (relative reference). Then I add another snippet this time say for a concrete member and so on.

Does this seem possible?


Also regarding Buchmayer - I wish I spoke German and my ancestors are probably disappointed in me.... but is this just a large database of section properties?

Thanks again!

Martin, thanks again for entertaining my questions.

When you say template files, what are you referring to?

It seems the main difficulty is that in order to "perform work" (i.e. findrows()) on the table you must import the table. So say for example the steel beam example. I must first import all the sections to be able to look for the correct section selected. I must also only import this table once or it will start to slow down the page.

Do you know if there is a way to have a dropdown list. And not only a dropdown list, a dropdown list that is populated from an external file. i.e. I would like to have all the steel sections load into a dropdown list.

Anyway let me know how your progress goes.

Attached is an example for a steel beam. The small issue is that this calculation may be repeated many times on a page.

Edit:

FYI there are errors in the design procedure. Only intended as an example

Edited by user 16 April 2014 20:16:29(UTC)  | Reason: Warning of errors in beam design calc

That's a little bakery but step by step we'll try to produce also the bread

Edited by user 09 April 2014 01:49:44(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Another question -

Ioan - I can't seem to use your files as they were created in a newer version and it says that I need a "Math Region" plugin, which apparently does not exist.
Any ideas on what I can do?
Also just so I understand ->
you created a file using wfile then you read the file to the variable. After this are you suppose to delete the origional commands that created the matrix. Or how did you disable the commands? Which commands?

Sorry for so many questions, some day I hope to know enough to really do something... someday...

Just for fun: here is table selector based on sliders with selection highlighting by a 2d plot region. No use except being a small programming exercise...

Note: by changing the position of any region, the z-ordering if plot region and matrix seems to be reversed.

Edited by user 13 April 2014 20:49:05(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Very strange. As shown in the attachment, the matrix keeps being displayed in front of the plot region when the slider has focus. If I shift any region by just one step, then the plot region comes to the foreground and the matrix disappears. But you obviously mentioned a different problem, which I cannot reproduce.

This one is more robust, no overlapping regions and no quotes any more. Much easier to adjust.

Very Nice!!

Note:
This worksheet as far as beam design goes is in error. It checks for unbraced length incorrectly.

Double click in the active area->Settings (may take some tries)