Collection Database

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Diabolical
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Collection Database

Post by Diabolical »

I want to start digitally cataloging my DVDs (and possibly comics), but I'm not sure where to start or what program to use.

For example, I'd like to be able to enter different categories and details for each one, like:
Title, year, genre, number of discs, type (television, film, straight-to-dvd, ect), director and/or star(s), ect. And hopefully be able to click a tab at the top that will alphabetize each column from A-Z/1-9.

I think someone mentioned Excel once, but I haven't really been able to figure it out where it doesn't screw everything up when I need to make a change somewhere. I tried a mini version on Excel and when I missed a title, I went back to add it and everything else kept shifting around and pissing me off.

Suggestions?
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anarky
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Re: Collection Database

Post by anarky »

What do you mean by "everything else kept shifting around"? Just trying to figure out if it's something that's easily fixable, since I use Excel and have no problems with it. I have found it's easier to add things at the end (maybe including a custom "sort by" field, where you can call something "Star Wars 4") and sort when you're done.
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Ran
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Re: Collection Database

Post by Ran »

I was using some free program I downloaded. You could add DVDs, games, CDs, and books by typing in the UPC code. The program would then scan amazon and add the title, genre, actors, etc. Unfortunately it was on my old computer and I can't remember the name of the program right now and I'm 450 miles away from home.

Most of my DVDs are on collectionstation. My movie collection isn't that big when I started, so it didn't take all that long. Now, when that site goes down, I'm screwed. Probably should have used Access. I'm pretty sure there is a template for music and movie collections.
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Diabolical
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Re: Collection Database

Post by Diabolical »

anarky wrote:What do you mean by "everything else kept shifting around"? Just trying to figure out if it's something that's easily fixable, since I use Excel and have no problems with it. I have found it's easier to add things at the end (maybe including a custom "sort by" field, where you can call something "Star Wars 4") and sort when you're done.
Well, I realized a fucked up a title and instead of redoing the line, I just deleted the entire line. When I did that somehow all the info below that line was messed up. For example, the line just below said the Ghostbusters 1 & 2 set was made in 1997 and had 1 disc.

I realized (after I got pissed and closed the whole damn thing) that I should have been saving the file after every title entered, fixing a problem like that.

How do you make a "sort by" field in Excel?
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anarky
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Re: Collection Database

Post by anarky »

I just create an extra column. For example, on CDs, I have artist, title, year, and sort by (which is actually the column title). That way, I can enter "Johnny Cash" under artist, and "Cash, Johnny" under sort by, and I do any sort by the column I called "sort by." Since I'm kinda weird, Ozzy Osbourne is listed as Black Sabbath under sort by; Eric Clapton, Cream, Derek and the Dominos, and Blind Faith are all listed as "Clapton, Eric."

It sounds like instead of deleting the entire row, you might've deleted just one cell. I can't think of any other reason that I know of that would do that. Then again, Excel is one seriously buggy program when it wants to be. For instance, the spreadsheet I keep for my checking account suddenly decided (seemingly at random) that one cell could not be a number value, no matter what I did, and entering a number there caused every single formula to get messed up. Deleting the entire line (not just the info in each cell) and re-entering it fixed it, though. The thing with Excel is, when it fucks up, it fucks up big.
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Re: Collection Database

Post by Diabolical »

That was the other weird thing it did - In the year column it made only one movie 1,987 instead of 1987.
I don't think I tried deleting the entire row to fix it though.
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Re: Collection Database

Post by anarky »

That looks like a number formatting error in one cell. Excel sometimes can figure out an entire column should have consistent formatting, and other times cannot. Right-click in the cell and bring up Properties (I think that's what it's called; I'm on the Mac now and can't check), and one tab is Number Format or something similar.
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Re: Collection Database

Post by Ran »

Yeah, right click and select "format cell". The first tab on the left should let you choose number and there should be a check box for "comma separator". Uncheck that box.
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