2 Using Excel Templates

By the end of this section you will be able to associate an Excel template with a view.

First, specify the location of excel templates.

1. Find System Configuration in the repository browser. It is right at the bottom of the repository list.
2. Open System Configuration and expand the System Directories section.
3. Make a note of directory specified in the Template Location, which is set to something like /opt/phixflow/excelTemplates.

You will now use a template in this directory to format one of the views you created:

1. Open the model Dashboards and Forms 01-08: Views, filters and dashboards.
2. Click on the icon for the Overall Debt Levels stream to open its configuration form.
3. In the Views section, click on Overall Debt Levels. This opens the stream view configuration form.
4. In the Advanced section, in the Excel Template box, enter debtOverview.xls.
5. Press 
6. Open the template you just used. The template itself is stored on the PhixFlow server but a copy is available in input directory you downloaded, under ...\excelTemplates.
7. Review the template.
   • You will need to unhide the first sheet to see it.
   • The first worksheet is called Basic Data. It is blank because PhixFlow always writes exported data to the first worksheet.
   • In this example, you can find formatted cells on the worksheet called Formatted Data. You can use data from the first sheet across any number of sheets - this is purely down to what is achievable in Excel.
8. Open the view Overall Debt Levels and export the data to Excel.
9. You will see the exported data from PhixFlow in the first worksheet and the formatted output on the second worksheet.