Much appreciated feedback of a knowledgeable user N.B.: The larger size headings are not really part of the answer,
but rather a way to structure this long text better, for other readers.
Hey Hubus,
I finally find the time to go through your suggestions. Crazy times, since the launch. So much, and so different things to do.
> I had a look at your Altsheets Sheet.
Thanks a lot. Much appreciated. Every idea is welcome!
Spreadsheets
> Personally, I like spreadsheets (Excel) - like you.
Yes. Especially chaining of operations is so easy. Complex calculations can be broken down. And once formulas are defined, applied to whole columns. Spreadsheets are great!
Then when I decided to split my program into frontend, and Python backend - I made it even more useful. A lot of previous problems were suddenly solvable.
By the way, only a small part is visible to you users. Much of the intelligence lives in the Python backend now. It has become a powerful architecture. I like this
short text that explains it well.
Frontend
What am I talking about when I say "frontend"? Please open
AltFolio ... Menu ... Tools ... Script Editor ... altsheets-scripts.gs
To me, 'frontend' is the visible spreadsheet including the GS (GoogleappsScript) that is extending its functions.
Make your own mod
> So for me it's good to have this as a spreadsheet.
Feel free to re-arrange, and extend and expand it.
Would love to see which mods will come up.
One other mod already exists, by the way.
> I would probably even like to customize it for my taste,
Exactly.
Please do so.
> which might be difficult if you want to protect your program.
Not at all. Go ahead.
You work in your copy anyways.
And really cool ideas could be reinserted upstream
- and I will reward you for it!
The protection comes with the data server authentication.
Plus expecting a minimum of morals from my customers, of course ;-)
Excel port? LibreOffice port?
> On the other hand, it should be possible
> to link my own spreadsheets to yours
Sounds interesting.
> (if it would be in Excel).
Two ways:
Either you import your existing sheets into GoogleSheets (if they are script-less then super-easy, automatic import for most of the Excel functions),
... or start building that portation to Excel.
An Excel version is already on my long list of ideas for the future (but not with high priority). One day, I might do it myself: Learn VBA, and do an Excel version of the frontend. Or probably it then won't be Excel, but LibreOffice/OpenOffice due to its different license - and of course
it also has a scripting language.
However, as the data server backend is an online resource, I see not a huge advantage in building an offline version of the frontend. So why not Googlesheets?
I'd like your opinion on that.
Several frontends
> I don't know if a local Excel version of this would be possible, but I would like it.
Of course it would be. Possible.
I simply took a decision early, to go for the online, GoogleSheets version.
But different frontends are possible. For sure.
For example, I have another quick'n'dirty hack as a completely different frontend - still only for myself, because it is slightly more complex to use.
Have you installed Python 2.7 ? Then I could let you try it ...
Easy to use
> On the other hand, I think for a broader public,
Never to forget about them, I have to
(Yoda speak :-) )
> a spreadsheet version might be to complicated
If that turns out to be the case, I will make a altfolio-for-dummies version :-)
But let us first try this more advanced technology ... hoping for some tech literacy - just because it is so damn useful.
> and leading to errors
The good thing about googlesheets is the eternal rollback. With
Menu ... File ... see revision history ...
you just hop to a version in your own past, which still worked.
Solved.
> (look at your "many" instructions,
Yes.
For a quickstart you really only have to stay to the one-liner rule:
--> Only ever edit the orange and yellow cells <--If you stick to that, _most_ problems can be avoided.
But not all, I agree.
I made videos, too. You only have to see them once, less than 10 minutes.
Clever software for clever users
> where the user has to find and input his changes freely.
Yes, flexibility comes with (the disadvantage of) choice.
> I think this is only possible, if the user already knows spreadsheets.
We have just had a case in which an spreadsheet newbie -quickly- went all the way, and he is enthusiastic about the power of (a) my programm, and (b) spreadsheets in general.
> For a good-selling program, probably a standalone version would be best.
Not impossible to do, yes.
But then you have 3 different operating systems, etc.
It would probably better become a webpage as a frontend.
For my taste, however, the whole concept would loose an essential part of its beauty.
I had been using static solutions, and didn't like them. That's why I built AltFolio.
Perhaps ... I make software for intelligent people?
And: Look at the cryptocurrency scene - even after 5 years, the majority still has a higher tech literacy than the average population.
Scripts
> I can write some Excel makros (programs),
Superb.
Then please do have a look at the frontend GoogleScript code.
Perhaps you feel like porting it?
> so it might be possible to hide even more of your formulas
> from the screen and automate some of the inputs.
I am really open to suggestions.
> Well, it seems to be possible with these scripts ("Altsheets Functions"), too.
Yep.
> I should learn this, what kind of script is this, is it included in Google Sheets?
Yep.
See above.
GUI
> You could form a more graphical user interface for the commands and inputs, maybe.
Unfortunately "buttons" are (still) implemented in a really stupid way, in this evolution step of GS.
They are graphics objects, have to be created (and linked to functions) manually, and (seemingly) do not get an addressable identity. *meh* GS is primitive.
If I had found a better way to create, show (and hide!) buttons, then I would have built a functions panel - instead of that slightly off menu.
But Google is a fast moving company, and when they upgrade their GS, I can do more such things.
Buy at different prices
> More improvement ideas:
Super, thanks!
> 1) Often, one buys the same currency at different times and prices.
Yes. Me. Often.
> So far, the only solution with your spreadsheet seems to be to add another row.
No no no. Please don't :-)
Simply combine all purchases,
into one average buy price,
and a total sum of coins.> But then the currency is displayed separately.
> It's ok, but would be better, if all different buys
> in the same currency could be added and summed up to one total.
Yes.
> Maybe you should think of such a function for later.
> A heavy trader won't only make one buy for one price.
Sure.
I often have several consecutive buys at different prices.
The current workaround is the little handy "Combined purchases calculator" below the main table.
What you want is to divide the total BTC expenses by total purchased coins, to get an average buy price.
Any idea to improve usability more - happy to hear!
I want to reduce the "number of necessary clicks and keyboard presses" more.
> And a light trader probably doesn't need a software
> to keep his few things under control.
AltFolio actually allows a "light trader" to do one careful step towards becoming a "heavy trader", by having more different coins in overview than before.
BTC vs fiat
> 2) If you don't want to play and don't want to loose money,
> I think you would be more interested in the value in US $ or,
> in my case, in Euros €, especially as the Bitcoin is so volatile.
That's what the one column "balance in USD" is for.
I often look at it, just to get a feeling how "important" that coin is, and not to care too much about 4 dollars worth of (what-turned-out-to-be-)shitcoins :-)
My intuition still needs fiat value, sometimes.
> So you really only know if you made a plus or minus,
> if you take the price of the Bitcoin itself into account!
Not sure that I agree with that.
Because I trade my altcoins often, but
bitcoin-fiat only really really seldom.
Or do you really do the (HZ --> BTC --> EUR --> BTC --> HZ) conversions for each and every hickup of the BTC price?
My altcoin trading is a way to increase my BTC total.
And in a good moment I trade BTC for fiat then.
In my first months with cryptos I was always converting everything to Euros; I don't do that anymore.
REAL money is bitcoins, Euros are just fiatmoney :-)
> Of course, the Bitcoin is an important denominator for the altcoins,
> but to see if you really made a plus or minus with your altcoins
> (and Bitcoins), you need to relate it to a fiat money like $ or €.
What about this:
You introduce extra columns into your own copy,
and try out the best ways to represent that.
You can simply use the cell P3 (bitstamp USD/BTC)
to multiply everything, to get dollar values.
Please first start with dollars.
Then in my next backend upgrade, I build you a EUR/BTC data "askServer" function.
What about that plan?
N.B.: When you insert colums, some of the extra-menu-functionality
will break, for a moment, until you also fix the column numbers and
names in lines 17-56 of the GS code.
Please make a comment, to find your changes more easily later.
future version: Euros!
> 3) If this is too much,
> I would at least like it,
> if it would be possible to choose
> Euros besides Dollars for the balance column.
good idea.
It's on the TODO list now.
For now:
USD/EUR is almost at parity.
Just subtract one tenth from everything, and you have the Euro value.
Thank you very very much!
> Ok, I don't know if my comments are already worth 3 % of your profits,
:-)
Your comments are ... invaluable.
But why do you say 3%?
> but at least I earned a serial key prolongation... ;-) ?
Of course you do. Definitely.
I have just prolonged it once more. try menu ... "serial key server answer refresh".
Thank you soooooooo much. Be sure: All of your ideas, and suggestions have been heard, and some are already on the list for future versions of the software. Thank you for your attention!
Please keep on using, and help improving it!
Happy Easter!