Site values & Informix access and spreadsheets

[Admin. scarab J.M. ROQUES 5322]

Hi everyone,

I would like to display, interactively,  some values stored in a informix datab
ase related to site points (actually measures from rain gauges acquired with a 
fixed time step into the data base).

These values should appear in a "looking like" spreadsheet, and eventually be p
lotted on the screen.

With grass, which we are still far from mastering, i thought of using the datab
ase links modules (i heard about them but which and where are they, and how to 
use them ?), and functions as d.sites, d.icons & p.icons for caracterising the 
gauges, then d.menu and d.what.vect for selections, d.points and d.graphs for g
raphic displays...
I did not see any function for spreadsheet editing.
 
Maybe there is a way to send an Xevent toward a spreadsheet software and pipe h
im the values?

before we start trying this (without help it sure will take us the whole summer
 and fall ...), has someone done something similar, and can he give me some hin
ts on the best way to achieve this?
Or should i give up and go to Arc/Info :-) ?

Many thanks in advance,

        Jean Michel Roques 
        Cisi,
        Earth Observation Division
        Environment section 


PS: Special greetings for those hypothetical Berkeley fellows from back in 1980
...