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, 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/data/phixflow/templates.

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, right-click on the model name and select  Display.

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

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

   1. First, in the model, click on the stream icon to open the settings for the  Overall Debt Levels stream.

   2. Then, in the stream settings → Views section, double-click on the view called Overall Debt Levels.
3. Add an Excel template to the stream view. In settings → Advanced section → Excel Template, 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?

   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, click the toolbar icon  Download data to file.
3. PhixFlow opens the Download Data Options window. 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.
   1. If necessary, enable editing.
   2. Unhide the Basic Data worksheet to see the exported source data.
   3. Switch to the Formatted Data worksheet and notice that the debt level is colour-coded.

Snapshot of the formatted Excel data: