I need help with some kwoon/dojo managing software.

[themeecer]

I posted the following on a pocket pc message board and decided to try my luck here. Maybe someone else has been in that situation or have the same problem as I.

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I have been searching for the past few hours for some software to manage my martial arts school. We have no office nor a pc at our school so I figured my pocket pc and IR keyboard would be a powerful approach to my problem. I have found a few (overly priced ones) for a desktop but none for a pocket pc. I even tried to search for general gym managing programs. It then occured to me that I could use MS Access. I had used it briefly in a job I had but my knowledge is below basic. I have searched for a template for what I need and haven't came across anything.

Can someone guide me in the direction I need to go?

Here is what info I want contained:

1. Name
2. Sex
3. Date of Birth
4. Age
5. Street Address
6. City
7. State
8. Zip
9. Home phone
10. Emergency (alternate) phone
11. Parent's name
12. Family Physician
13. Physician's phone
14. List of medical conditions (This would be a memo field)
15. Date started classes
16. Rank (Need a drop down menu of our various ranks)


The remaining three fields are a little more difficult and access may not be able to handle it.
17. Next Test date (This time span varies in length due to the rank of the student)
18. Test fee due
19. Fees paid (This would need to be charged monthly on the date of start and allow leeway for students that fall behind in dues .. I want a record of how far behind they are)

Also a way to take class attendance that would be updated into each student's record would be needed as well.

Any info to point me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.


PS. In order to get this thread more attention ... SD willl choke you all out and George W. will choke Kerry out.

[Tak]

You could use a simple spreadsheet for that.

[MasterKiller]

Shaolin-Do goes platinum

[themeecer]

My eyes!!!!!!! I really like the pic of him sitting there with his shirt off trying to look all sexy.

[Oso]

Tak is right.

If you have PPC 2000 or better didn't it come bundled w/ Excel?

You could try that or I think there is an Accel for PPC.



At the last maintenance supervisor job I had I really needed a maintenance program and they wouldn't drop the 2G to get it so I built what I needed in Excel.

good luck

[themeecer]

Well like I said above .. I am attempting to use access to do this. Not sure if it can handle my last 3 items effectively:

17. Next Test date (This time span varies in length due to the rank of the student)
18. Test fee due
19. Fees paid (This would need to be charged monthly on the date of start and allow leeway for students that fall behind in dues .. I want a record of how far behind they are)

Also a way to take class attendance that would be updated into each student's record would be needed as well.

Yes my pocket pc also has excel on it. Not sure how using a spreadsheet would be much better than just using a piece of paper, though. I was hoping to find something that would be more automated in displaying the above mentioned items.

[rubthebuddha]

meecy -- excel or access would be more than adequate for this. excel would be best if you wanted financial functions, access if you wanted more drop-down goodness.

find yourself a $20 how-to-use-access/excel book and do it yourself, or pay some office jockey you know a $20 bill and a sixpack of something tasty. such a file would take anyone experienced maybe 30 minutes to set up, and that includes a poo break.

[themeecer]

Well I am teaching myself access through trial and error right now. I will definitely go this route because it allows for a 'pretty' interface rather than a boring spread sheet. Also there is less room for error entering the data through access. I won't be the person entering the data. If I did have someone setting it up for me I would want to lurk over their shoulder so I can learn some of it.

I may find a techie board and just post those last three items and ask what direction I need to head in. Next step will be to find a powerful pocket pc access program. I am looking at a few and will see how I like their demos.

I thought someone else may have approached this problem in the past, so I came here. Whenever I do get my template built I'll post a link for it here for anyone who would care to use it.

[Water Dragon]

I vote for Excel as well. Access actually sounds better for what you want, but it can tend to be a bit confusing.

[themeecer]

Questions:
1. Can access give me a daily attendance tracker where the user will only need to click a check box as they go down the list of names?
2. Can access track monthly fees paid? The dollar amount stays the same so no calculations needed. I just need to know if they are currently up to date or one or more months behind.
3. Can access track testing times?

Since everyone is saying go the excel route it might be a while for I get these answers.

[David Jamieson]

dude... go here:

http://office.microsoft.com/template...EC790020111033

maybe you'll find a template or two that you can use.

[themeecer]

Been there already. That gave me a start. I just got back from the library with a couple of books on access. I'll see what I can find in there.