UK Social research job to suit Excel programmer (not necessarily VBA)

[Duncan Smith]

http://www.man.ac.uk/news/vacancies/research.html#581

Duncan Smith

 

[Peter Hansen]

http://www.man.ac.uk/news/vacancies/research.html#581

Sorry, but what's the connection to Python?

 

[Duncan Smith]

Sorry, but what's the connection to Python?

There is (I am told) a significant amount of work automating Excel.
Unfortunately this isn't clear from the job description (I didn't write it).
I know from experience that this can be achieved admirably using Python (and
Mark Hammond's extensions). Personally I would like to see the work done in
Python, but that depends on who applies and whether those who make the
decisions can be convinced that it's an appropriate language (well, moreso
than VBA). It's certainly not a full-time programming job (due to the
social science / modelling component), but it does need someone who can
write good maintainable code.

Duncan

 

[William Park]

There is (I am told) a significant amount of work automating Excel.
Unfortunately this isn't clear from the job description (I didn't
write it). I know from experience that this can be achieved admirably
using Python (and Mark Hammond's extensions). Personally I would like
to see the work done in Python, but that depends on who applies and
whether those who make the decisions can be convinced that it's an
appropriate language (well, moreso than VBA). It's certainly not a
full-time programming job (due to the social science / modelling
component), but it does need someone who can write good maintainable
code.

Bash, Awk, Python are all good tools, and Math/Engineering would be good
background to have. But, this is job for local undergraduate students,
not outside programmer or consultants.

 

[has]

There is (I am told) a significant amount of work automating Excel.
Unfortunately this isn't clear from the job description (I didn't write it).
I know from experience that this can be achieved admirably using Python (and
Mark Hammond's extensions).

If it's any help, the Mac version of Excel can also be scripted via
Apple events. The most common language for this is AppleScript [no
comment], but Apple Event Manager bridges are also available for
Perl (see Mac::Glue at <http://search.cpan.org/~cnandor/>) and
MacPython (see appscript at
<http://freespace.virgin.net/hamish.sanderson/appscript.html>; not
quite finished but getting there).