In this blog, we’ll show you how easy it is to build a simple calculator app with just your spreadsheet skills. Rest assured, you won’t need to write one single line of code.
You can also watch our on-demand webinar Building no-code apps with Ninox and Squirrel365 for an easy-to-follow demonstration of how to build the calculator app below. You’ll find the demo at 05:40 minutes in.
Build an Infection Rate Calculator in minutes
Infections have been a trending topic in recent years with the COVID-19 pandemic. This calculator, built with Squirrel365, shows the number of infections based on the R factor. When the user enters the R factor value either in the Text Input box or by the Slider control, the calculator shows the expected rise in infections for that value.
As we know from the pandemic, R (the infection factor), is the number of people who will be infected by someone who is already infected. When R is above 1, infections grow. When it’s less than 1, they decline.
The standard stuff of Excel Modelling
This Squirrel model shows how the R factor works. It’s based on a straightforward spreadsheet with data and formulas calculating how new infections build up over time.
Creating the Squirrel infection calculator from the spreadsheet is as simple as importing your spreadsheet, adding components (charts, tables…) to the Squirrel canvas, and connecting what’s happening on the canvas to what’s happening in the spreadsheet.
Press play on the videos below to watch the stages of building the infection rate calculator.
To import the spreadsheet, use the option in the “File” menu:
To add components to the canvas, drag them from the component menu on the left:
The process of connecting, or binding your components to your data is where the magic happens. Watch how the spreadsheet data is bound to the chart:
And if you add controls to your project, such as a Slider, and bind them to the spreadsheet this will allow your user to interact with the data:
Once you have connected all your components, you can “preview” to see how they work together with the spreadsheet logic:
At the top of the Squirrel interface, you’ll notice there are three tabs. The image above shows we’re working in the Design mode. But if you select Debug mode, you can check that everything you’ve set up is working as intended. It’s a great way to troubleshoot because you can see what’s happening in your spreadsheet as you interact with the project on the canvas.
Sharing your app, the easy way.
Once you’ve built your calculator, publish it up to the Squirrel cloud with one click, and make it available for anyone to access. You can do this from the Preview tab.
It takes just a few minutes to turn a spreadsheet into an interactive visualisation.
You can share your project by sending out the link. Or, from Squirrel’s Project Manager, choose to embed your project into PowerPoint or embed it in a website. That’s how easy it is.
Harness the power of your spreadsheet skills
Squirrel allows you to take your spreadsheet logic, package the output in terms of charts, tables, and text, and interact with it via input components.
All you need to build a calculator app like this one in Squirrel365 is some data and your spreadsheet knowledge. And because it’s all done with clicks, not code, the world is your oyster.
You can build anything from apps to dashboards, to interactive visualisations. Visit our Showcase page for some ideas. There’s also a selection of different tutorials and how-to videos on the Learn page to help get you started.
Fancy trying out Squirrel for yourself? There’s a free 30-day trial waiting for you to download.
