Ludens

I have pretty much replaced my spreadsheets with postgres(sqlite would have worked as well, but... I really like postgres) simple calculations end up as views, more complicated ones end up as an external script. a postgres function would work, but I find external scripts easier to manage.

Once, as a sort of programing kata, I wanted to see if I could turn a simple spreadsheet I found on the internet into a view.

transformer calculator: https://ludens.cl/Electron/trafos/trafos.html

I was successful in that I was able to put the logic in what would have been a ten line program into, well, this 150 line monstrosity.

same transformer calculator as a view: https://pastebin.com/xyDeAV7R

Takeaway: the relational database works well to replace the spreadsheet when the spreadsheet is used as a data store, not so much when the spreadsheet is used as a programing language. but for that, the purpose built programing language is far superior.

As the article says, it diverts most of the flow during low-flow periods (i.e. summer) which means there would not be much left for fish passage. Might be fine, might not, I don't know enough about the ecosystem to say.

Additionally, there are some definite issues with sedimentation during construction. They excavated the channel to the intake and put all the dirt from the excavation into the stream for it to "carry away"[1]. This would not be allowed in most areas I know of - essentially, fish can't breathe if there's too much dirt in the water. Then several times it overflowed and eroded the channel - more sedimentation. The author even admitted using concrete liner would be the better choice, but opted not to because it was expensive - essentially, this externalized the cost of sedimentation to the ecosystem.

[1] https://ludens.cl/paradise/turbine/intake.html