2 Using Excel Templates

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

About the Excel templates used in this section

In this tutorial section, you will use an Excel template called debtOverview.xls that is already stored on the PhixFlow server.

We have included a copy of this template in train.zip. To see what the template looks like:

1. Download train.zip and extract the contents to a folder on your computer (indicated as <path> in the following instructions).
2. Open <path>\train\excelTemplates\debtOverview.xls. The file opens with one worksheet, called Formatted Data, which shows how the data will be formatted.
3. If the file is protected, enable editing.
4. There is a another, hidden worksheet. To view it, right-click on the Formatted Data worksheet tab and select Unhide.

The Excel file now has a tab called Basic Data. This worksheet is blank ready for PhixFlow to populate it with data. Once the first sheet is populated, you can use the data in other sheets.

Find the location of Excel templates

1. In the repository browser, scroll to the bottom of the list and open System Configuration.
2. 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.

Specify an Excel template in a stream view

1. Open the model Dashboards and Forms 01-08: Views, filters and dashboards in the workspace.

    How?

   Either, in the repository browser right-click on the model name and select  Display.

   Or, in the repository browser double-click on the model name to open its settings. Then, in the settings toolbar, click  Display.
   If you cannot see any icons at the top of the settings tab, click  More Toolbar Options. The toolbar options that do not fit on the toolbar, are listed here.

2. Open the properties for the stream view called Overall Debt Levels. To do this:

   1. First open the properties for the  Overall Debt Levels stream. In the model, click on the stream icon.

   2. Then, in the stream properties → Views section, double-click on the view called Overall Debt Levels.
3. Add an Excel template to the stream view. In properties → Advanced section → Excel Template box, enter debtOverview.xls, then click  OK.

Export stream view data to Excel

1. Open the stream view Overall Debt Levels and check it has data.

    How?

   _check_stream_view

   To check the data in a stream view

   1. In a model, hover your mouse pointer over the stream icon.
   2. In the pop-up toolbar, click  Stream Views.
   3. PhixFlow lists the views available for this stream. Select Default View to see the full data grid for the stream.

   If you select a stream view that shows charts, PhixFlow shows the design of the chart rather than the data itself. To see the data, switch to App Mode.

2. In the stream view window, in the toolbar, click  Download data to file.
3. PhixFlow opens the Download Data Options window. Set Use Excel Template: tick then click the Excel icon.
4. PhixFlow opens a notification in the the bottom right of your screen. Click the notification to download the Excel file.
5. Open the Excel file. Unhide the Basic Data worksheet to see the exported source data. Switch to the Formatted Data worksheet and notice that the debt level is colour-coded.

Snapshot of the formatted Excel data: