Transforming cell into a button that captures date time stamp for study topics

[alifopensrc]

Hi, I’m trying to create a self-study calc tracker for my mentees. The structure is very simple. Subjects and topics are listed in column A and B. Once A and B is filled, the corresponding cell in Column C becomes a button. Once clicked will be time date stamped in column D. Column E replicates column C button but this is for capturing end of study for that particular study task. Is this possible? I’ve not seen anyone doing this online. Personally I think calc is super advanced to not be able to do this and wonder why more people are not thinking or doing this. What am i missing? Is there a better way to do this?

Recap:

1. (Conditionally transform corresponding cell automatically into a button) Is possible to do this?
2. With calc being this advanced, why aren’t more people going this route?
3. What am I missing, is there a better way to do what I’m trying to achieve?
   -AOS.

[F3KTotal]

Find attached an approach without macro.
Just select the checkmarks in columns C and D to set the timestamps.
you need to switch on Interations under Tool/Options/Calc/Calculations

Settimes.ods (16.3 KB)

[Zizi64]

Modified Event2.ods (11.9 KB)

[alifopensrc]

Hi Zizi64,
Thank you very much for your kind help! The reason I need a button is because the children are only 7 to 12 years of age. This file is meant to be used by the mentors and mentees. The mentors will fill in the link to the resources needed for the visual learning like videos on youtube and then the links to the kinesthetics like online questions. So essentially the kids only need to click it. The elder kids might be able to copy and paste but the younger ones are only able to “click”. Hence our need for buttons. I intend for this to be for parents and orphanages who cannot afford to be there hence this tool. Nonetheless, thank you for your kind solution!

-AOS.

[Zizi64]

@alifopensrc

I need a button

Then you can insert the buttons “into” the cells (onto the graphical layer really) manually, and set the visibility property to hide state. The macro (launched in same way than in my sample) will unhide the actual button. You can use the name of the buttons to recognize the actual button by your macro. The default (numbered) name is appropriate for it.
.
It is possible to create (and adjust) a button programatically too, but that is more difficult.

[alifopensrc]

Hi Zizi64,
I thought it would be easy to have an If condition like A & B filled so C automatically becomes a button defined somewhere instead of manually creating on the GUI layer. And another function written to capture it’s time and date because later the numerical value string will be subtracted to find the value which will then be added to their scores into an overall grade. But I guess it is a tad too ambitious as I’m too much a noob to figure it out lol .

Thanks very much for your input!
-AOS.

[Zizi64]

@alifopensrc

I thought it would be easy to have an If condition like A & B filled so C automatically becomes a button defined somewhere

You can not get a graphical object as a result of a existing (built-in) cell formula.
And you can not get a constant date-time value by usage of the function NOW(). It will refresh the values at reopening the file.
(But you can get a clickable Hyperlink. )

[alifopensrc]

Hi Zizi64,
I see, so this is not possible with Calc. But the hyperlink’s clickability to timedate stamp should do, which syntax should I look at to do this?

Mucho Gracias!
-AOS.

[Zizi64]

@alifopensrc

But the hyperlink’s clickability to timedate stamp should do, which syntax should I look at to do this?

The click event can launch a macro similar to my sample above.
I dont know other (direct) way.