Meter Reading App using Only Excel file as the database or the main storage

MIT App Inventor Help
1

Good day everyone, I am newbie here in MIT, I would like to ask assistance on my way of building a Meter Reading app in my community here in philippines,

I would like to use export/import excel file then load to the app then user/meter can input the present reading then app automatically computes the amount, and prints a bill.

++This is my 1st question,
how i can use my excel file or .csv as my database?or how i would appear my .csv file to my list?

thank you in advance,i hope someone could guide me along the way!.

2
  1. Export your Excel spreadsheet to a csv file
  2. Upload your csv file to your aia project (into the media folder)
  3. Use the File component to read the csv file
  4. When File GotText set the text to a variable using the list from csv table block to make an AI2 list
  5. Work with your list

If you want to keep updating your csv, then you will need to download the csv file from an online resource / server (e.g. Google Drive) and then do 3 - 5 above.

3

This is usually done centrally, for big city utilities.

You will need to think about how the new meter reading gets to the next billing cycle, where the next meter reading might be taken by a different meter reading on a different device.

Likewise for payments and balances, if you collect money in person from your customers.

Does your community include apartment buildings, with banks of meters all together in one spot?

Does each meter have a unique scannable bar code?

4

here is an extension for reading/modify excel file directly. but only xls file, not xlsx file.
https://kevinkun.cn/excelutil/

5

cant upload file to mit app inventor, its file extension is .aix?

6

our community will use this one sir, about 3,000 consumers. we have our separate system that can produce excel file or .csv file where it will generate the previous date of billing, previous reading ,unpaid bills. this is way i can load the file to my MIT App to print bills.for now i dont focus on scannable barcodes. just simple application, than calculates amount then prints a bill sir.since i have just started working in this field.

7

follow up question:

this is for the value of Amount Due for our bills.

how can i put this calculation in to math blocks?

(usage=present reading-prevoius reading)

if usage>=36
then Amount Due=(usage-15-10-10)*21.56+472.5

else if usage>=26
then Amount Due=(usage-15-10)*17.25+300

else if usage>=16
then Amount Due= (usage-15)*15+150

 else if usage>=10

then Amount Due=150

else Amount Due= usage*15) 
 ;

thanks in advance.

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draggable block...

blocks (29)
blocks (29)1530×1378 307 KB

9

im gonna try this one sir thank you so much :wink:

10

its all good sir,, already up and running.

next question sir, how to have a search button then display the customers information to a screen?
and do you have any idea on how to create print button, specifically printing on a bluetooth thermal printer?

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