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You hit the nail on the head. I am not at all concerned with the look of the interface. I just want to be able to automate some of my work. So I will take a look at the options you mentioned.
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Bonus: Typically, with scripts, you focus on a single task, so if you can automate a few things with a number of single-purpose scripts, you'll probably feel like you're making a lot more progress more quickly than trying to write one compiled utility that tries to do it all.
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I would also advice you to C# because it is a more modern language with some really nice and high level features, but also the possibility to interact really smooth with MS Excel (example) but also with other CLI languages .
It is the first choice of today in the trade off between power and comfort. 
Google for some tutorials 
Press F1 for help or google it.
Greetings from Germany
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That sounds good. I am definitely familiar with learning through these type of forums and YouTube videos. So that is definitely in my future.
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Of course you mileage may vary depending on your native skills and determination, but I was a long term VB coder and prior to that did a lot with BASIC. I'd also dabbled with C but never got very far when I was working with UNIX years ago. Found then that I was much more comfortable building shell scripts and such to accomplish my goals.
In the last year I determined that it was time to move on from VB to 'something else' and that something else ended up being C#. I haven't looked back with any regrets whatsoever.
As others have mentioned C# is clear and flexible. Your biggest hurdle will be dealing with syntax but as you learn the basics the world opens up to possibilities quickly so I have to say in my personal experience the investment in understanding and utilizing the language has a very fast reward curve that you benefit from.
I can't speak outside of comparatives from my experience to adopting C# as my core language of preference and I will say that I'm interested in picking up a secondary, ternary, or stacking some other languages in my basket of tools. But even with the short forays that I've made into other things like Java Script and such, I've found myself coming back quickly to C# when I was really needing to get the job done in short order.
So I concur with a lot said here. Wish you the best!
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Java and C# are very similar so I suggest C# since Java is also used heavily in web development.
BTW, I also started on an Apple IIe back in 1983.
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I have written an article in three parts, which though targets young ladies who are interested in a career in software development, is appropriate for anyone.
You can find the articles at my TECH NOTES site here... https://blackfalconsoftware.wordpress.com
The articles are entitled...
<<<
Common Sense Software Engineering: Letter to a Young Woman (Part I)
Common Sense Software Engineering: Letter to a Young Woman (Part II)
Common Sense Software Engineering: Letter to a Young Woman (Part III)
<<<
The articles provide links and resources for the topics discussed.
Because these article parts comprise around 35 typed pages, there is also a downloadable PDF available at the beginning of the first article as well...
Steve Naidamast
Sr. Software Engineer
Black Falcon Software, Inc.
blackfalconsoftware@outlook.com
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If you're going to put data into an Excel-based report template using code in Excel itself, you might have to use VBA for that, but, if you are going to commit to C# (a great language), there are libraries available to be able to do it outside of Excel without VBA. I don't recommend VBA if you can possibly avoid it. The language is untrendy and the code would be broken up into scattered pieces that are difficult to manage later.
If you are going to build your own web-accessible databases, you are probably going to choose between SQL Server Express or MySQL and will need to choose a platform and a language to go with it. If you choose SQL Server Express, you would do best to stay with Microsoft and C#. If you choose MySQL, you could host it anywhere on any OS and program to it using any language. For my own home-grown web programs, I do it in PHP (not such a great language, but with advantages) and MySQL on a shared host Linux server, because that is the quickest, cheapest, most accessible and portable option, and I like being independent of vendors and free to use free open source software.
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absolutely not C#
the only correct answers are VBA, Python or R
R is built for data analysis,
you can grab stuff from databases and the web with it, you can manipulate Excel files with it
it is an ugly language, but very powerful
Python has become a strong contender for data analysis and is also used as the backend for web servers
and just like R you can grab stuff from databases and the web with it, you can manipulate Excel files with it
VBA is also great -- it is so easy to get data from databases and put them into Excel -- not so great for web stuff
I recommend Python
you will be up and running with Python much faster than with C#
watch this to get a basic idea of python
[^]
search youtube, google and amazon for python tutorials
there and tons of them
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I'd like to suggest you have a look at Python, ideally Python 3.6. Even if you decide to go for C#, knowing Python is useful.
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Several very good observations from other posters, but why make this project any harder than it needs to be? KISS!!!!!!
You seem to already know VBA. Why not write a VBA add-in for Excel to import the data, and then do the analysis/consolidation using Excel macros. Excel generates good graphs and can do high level statistics including multiple regression with an inexpensive add-in such as WinStat. http://www.winstat.com/
IMNSHO learning a new language just for this task is gross over-kill. After you extract the data, you will still need to format and analyze. Most likely you will have to use another program/language such as “R”on top of one of the dialects of C. What exactly will one of the new “hot” languages do that VBA or even Quick Basic won't?
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The history you mentioned is near identical to my own. I'm only getting back into programming myself. So while I'm not the best for making suggestions, I can at least tell you what I know. For programming, I tried a little of everything along with the countless websites suggesting one way or another. I've decided to go with C# due to its versatility, IDE, and the fact that most of my work tools are with Microsoft. And the fact there so many resources available for learning it. (Both free and paid) Xamarin University is one which will give you what you need to learn, while charging you a reasonable fee (which will help keep you motivated to get through the material as quickly as possible). We tend to take things more seriously when we pay for them...
As for reporting, If you can get your hands on MS SQL 2012+ you will get SQL Server Reporting Services with it. SSRS will allow you to pull information from many different data points (SQL, Access, Excel, Flat Files) and automate their delivery to either the file system or through email. And C# can be used to enhance the reports further. And with that, you can get into MVC6 and move into building small applications which connect to your databases etc. (If you can use the same tools in work and as a hobby, you will have that much more exposure.)
I wish you the best. Just know whichever path you choose, that is the right one for you!
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Message Closed
modified 26-Apr-17 11:05am.
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From the top of the page...
Welcome to the Lounge
Get a Daily Message Summary
For discussing anything related to a software developer's life. Technical discussions are encouraged, but click here to ask your programming questions.
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Member 3454084 wrote: epplus
Is that the new fanboi pronunciation of "apples"?
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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OOOO! Code!
Never seen that on a developer site before.
Mind you, it's normally accompanied by some explanation of why you want 12,888,930 other people to read it. It's not exactly new or interesting code, after all.
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Well don't go encouraging him!!! Now he' keep posting
If it's not broken, fix it until it is.
Everything makes sense in someone's mind.
Ya can't fix stupid.
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Great! I intend to do a reading from my source code. Will you come?
The language is JavaScript. that of Mordor, which I will not utter here
This is Javascript. If you put big wheels and a racing stripe on a golf cart, it's still a f***ing golf cart.
"I don't know, extraterrestrial?"
"You mean like from space?"
"No, from Canada."
If software development were a circus, we would all be the clowns.
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Only if you read it in the voice of Mr Bean.
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Him?[^]
The language is JavaScript. that of Mordor, which I will not utter here
This is Javascript. If you put big wheels and a racing stripe on a golf cart, it's still a f***ing golf cart.
"I don't know, extraterrestrial?"
"You mean like from space?"
"No, from Canada."
If software development were a circus, we would all be the clowns.
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Dat's de bunny!
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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using System;
namespace NoCodeInTheLounge
{
class KeepItOut
{
static void Main()
{
Console.WriteLine("No code in the lounge!");
Console.WriteLine("Press any key to exit.");
Console.ReadKey();
}
}
}
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Hmmm...if I didn;t know better, I'd have to say that violates your "No code in the Lounge" rule ... 
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Whoops. 
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Listen, do you smell something? - YouTube[^]
The post below reminded me of this great line. 
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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