HI,
I need to learn to do the things described below, have approval to take class/buy online learning resources, courseware, etc., as needed. I am in Miami area, can take a class, but only if specific to my needs (not "EXCEL + ACCESS 101 through everything for each level"-not needed and/or not enough time or money).

However, I don't know what to "call them" in technical terms (VBA/EXCEL/ACCESS plus EXCEL, formulas, etc.) that would facilitate beginning my search for "How to Do This" - get the puchase orders, etc.

Any help you could offer "naming" what it is that I need to learn to be able to do these things I would appreciate very much:

1. ACQUIRE DATA ONLINE:
I need to ACQUIRE DATA regularly from public websites as "automatically" as possible - sometimes they are spreadsheets that I can donwload, but the spreadhseets are often full of codes that cause probelms later in calculations, formatting, arranging with other data for comparisons, etc.

Sometimes, I acquire data by copying and pasting or, or clicking "File, Edit in MS Word (or Excel)" from charts on webpages that do not have "Export EXCEL spreasheet" options....

The data on these spreadsheets span different years and locations and content and are not presented comparably, some charts have some fields, others have others, I often need ONLY certain rows and ONLY certain columns of several different spreadsheets to compile onto one new spreadsheet, and then update as the others are updated. They all have TWO COLUMNS of data that, together, offer unique indentifier info, that are the base of reference.

2. FORMULAS:
I need to perform calculations with the data - averages/ subgroup averages, mainly. But, the data are not all stored as numbers when they are numbers, and often have spaces and ' marks and html codes in them that often interfere with calculations.

3. CREATE ONLINE FORMS:
I need to create forms so team members can enter info online.

4. FORM PROCESSES:
I need those forms to perform calculations with the entered data and with the stored data (from #1 & 2) and show results to the users entering the data online.

5. FORM PROCESSES:
Sometimes, the form needs to have options to go to different questions depending on responses to certain prompts, i.e., If yes, user exits/submits form; If no, user is asked more questions, more calculations are performed, etc.

6. REPORT GENERATION:
I need to produce visually clarifying reports from spreadsheets AND I need the forms/results to produce reports that are automatically e-mailed to pre-determined recipients with those calculations in them.

7. ACCESS:
I think I need ACCESS to enter, categorize, classify store, generate reports, and do outlook e-mail merges with data from different sources over time...?

8. FORMULA LEVELS:
Some calculations are complicated:
If column A is "4" then reduce value of cells in column C by 20%; if column A is "1" increase value of cells in column C by 15%; If Column A is blank, delete column C for report and do not include value in column C in average calculated for column;
In spreadsheet 2, in column H, for rows except rows where column A is blank, enter the difference between the value in spreadsheet 12, column C, rows that meet the criteria for name list 7, and the value in spreadsheet 9, column d, rows that meet the criteria in name list 8, - do not calculate or report errors where there is a N/A, *, or blank in any of the cells invloved in the calculations.

(on and on, it gets more complicated than that...)

I am short on time, every time I buy DVDs to learn MS Excel, they are loaded with stuff I don't need - basics I know or peripherals I don't need to know - and I run out of time and simply fail, or get help and take shortcuts, etc., but that has to stop, I need to know how to do what I am supposed to do, well.

Suggestions appreciated!
Synthia