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mick
04-04-2017, 02:45 PM
RDSS has a couple of handy features for those of us who maintain databases. You can retrieve mutuel prices and export race records to an Excel template that Ted created for that purpose. From those race records, you can copy and paste the winner (the place horse, or whatever) to Ted’s MasterTemplate3. Here’s a good video that RitchieP made demonstrating the process: http://paceandcap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5987

Recently, I completed some research for Ted on the Rx values and found that it was much easier if I imported my records into Access and ran queries on the data using Access. I have Access 2007 but I don’t think there’s much difference with 2010. (You can also do it with Access 2003 but the steps may be different.)

In order to import records from Excel, you must change Ted’s MasterTemplate in two ways. Firstly, you have to reduce his two-row column headers into one row. Secondly, you must delete the formulas that he’s put in the Template. (They’re down around row 300, as I recall.) If you don’t do both, the import will fail because Access doesn’t know what to do with either.

So, if you’re interested in using Access, I’ve saved you the trouble by modifying the MasterTemplate and attaching it, renaming it MasterTemplateAccess.

I added four columns for my research, but the data has to be manually entered. Those columns are:
EH – Rx2#
EI – Rx3#
EJ – PTO#
EK – Field Size

Column EG contains MLO# before scratches but doesn’t have a column header, so I added it. The Export to Excel feature captures that information, so you don’t have to enter it manually.

If you want to work with other data, just add your own columns, or use mine and rename them.

Once you have entered your Excel data into the Access template (you can just copy and paste it if you already have it in Ted’s Excel spreadsheet), the process of importing it into Access is simple. Here’s a good youtube video, but there are many more:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aH56dxqLhg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aH56dxqLhg)

Once you’ve imported your records, running queries in Access is easy, too. And there’s a wealth of information on the Internet:
www.makeuseof.com/tag/quick-tutorial-queries-microsoft-access-2007/ (http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/quick-tutorial-queries-microsoft-access-2007/)
www.techonthenet.com/access/queries/create2007.php (http://www.techonthenet.com/access/queries/create2007.php)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZjRkRE2Xm0 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZjRkRE2Xm0)