Ben Collins
benlcollins.com · Personal blog · on HN since 2015
Ben Collins teaches Google Sheets and spreadsheet skills, with guides on formulas, the QUERY function, sparklines, dashboards, and SQL.
What HN saysHN commenters link it as a practical reference for the QUERY function, sparklines, and Sheets dashboards.
17HN people shared it
5linked it in comments
15stories submitted
204story points
3 years agolast shared
2015people per year2026
Most-shared posts
- 1Google Sheets Query Function (2016)6 people · 82 points · first shared 2017 · 13 comments on HN
- 2Connected Sheets: Analyze Big Data in Google Sheets2 people · 3 points · first shared 2020 · discussion on HN
- 3Making Google Sheets look less like Google Sheets2 people · 3 points · first shared 2022 · 1 comments on HN
- 4Sparklines in google sheets2 people · first shared 2019
- 5Google Sheets Formula Clock1 people · 99 points · first shared 2019 · 14 comments on HN
- 6Creating a dynamic d3 visualization from the GitHub API1 people · 3 points · first shared 2015 · discussion on HN
- 7Six reasons to start learning SQL1 people · 3 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 8How we automate our family finances with Google Sheets1 people · 3 points · first shared 2018 · 1 comments on HN
- 9New Google App Script IDE Based on VSCode1 people · 3 points · first shared 2020 · discussion on HN
- 10New Functions in Google Sheets for 20221 people · 2 points · first shared 2022 · discussion on HN
- 11A guide to simple automations in Google Sheets, using Macros1 people · 2 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 12Import Cookbook: import social media data into Google Sheets with formulas1 people · 1 points · first shared 2017 · discussion on HN
- 1310 techniques google sheets dashboard1 people · first shared 2019
What HN people wrote when they linked it
matchagaucho · 2019-03-30
I've attended 2 of Tufte's sessions. Highly recommend. The key take-away for me is "every pixel counts".
The caveat is that Tufte principles are rooted in a 2D print domain, so applying his ideas to interactive or 3D domains requires some discipline.
Sparklines in Google Sheets are a classic example of applying Tufte designs to the web.
https://www.benlcollins.com/spreadsheets/sparklines-in-google-sheets/
mritchie712 · 2023-10-09
For more power: QUERY()
https://www.benlcollins.com/spreadsheets/google-sheets-query-sql/
a_band · 2021-11-11
Yeah, I actually do something similar with some of my projects. I'm able to get good results directly querying sheets: https://www.benlcollins.com/spreadsheets/google-sheets-query-sql/
Pivot tables have a bit of a learning curve but you can also use them to dynamically pull data out of sheets: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/1272900?hl=en&co=GENIE.Plat…
DonHopkins · 2019-12-21
Why "learn SQL instead" and not "learn both"?
SQL is a language. Excel (and Google Sheets) is a tool (that also supports SQL, the language). Why wouldn't you want a sleek Excel-like user interface to SQL data and queries?
https://www.lifewire.com/excel-front-end-to-sql-server-2495398
https://www.benlcollins.com/spreadsheets/google-sheets-query-sql/
And no I don't mean like the steaming piece of shit called MySQLWorkbench (or PHPMyAdmin for that matter).
https://devrant.com/rants/1342177/mysql-workbench-user-friendliness-at…
http://www.colinpistell.com/tutorial/mysql-workbench/
achow · 2019-07-18
From this discovered couple of other useful blog writeup..
Everything you ever wanted to know about Sparklines in Google Sheets
https://www.benlcollins.com/spreadsheets/sparklines-in-google-sheets/
10 Techniques for building a Google Sheets Dashboard
https://www.benlcollins.com/spreadsheets/10-techniques-google-sheets-d…