Using Excel instead of inline editing

Contains tips for configurators working with Aware IM
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RocketRod
Posts: 907
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:22 am
Location: Melbourne

Using Excel instead of inline editing

Post by RocketRod »

I wanted my users to be able to use Excel to change data in a grid so I set up this process. Others have commented in the forum on wanting something like this so hope it helps.

The three mouse click process!

Click one. User clicks on the Export query results to a csv file button.

Click two. User opens the exported file using Excel and makes changes, saves the file.

Click three. User clicks on a process button at top of grid which prompts for the exported file via a document browse. The revised data is imported into the grid and refreshed automatically. Woo Hoo changes made!

It's easy fast and users are quite happy.

The process in click three is a very simple three step process.

Step 1 . Upload the file into a document attribute so in other words present the user with a form and a document attribute on it.
Step 2. Export the file out to a temp folder
Step 3. Import the file back in with

Import BO from filelocation using importtemplate

So the trick is to use the power of import/export templates. Set up an import template that matches your grid. Add a unique key attribute to the grid. I don't use the BO.ID as it seems to cause issues. I just add an incremental counter attribute to the BO. Then in the import template specify that this is part of a primary key for update. In this way the import step in the process will use the key to match the records and update them!

So you don't need to worry about column headers in the import file. You just need the template to match the grid. As long as users don't add or delete columns in the Excel csv file then it works well , its quick and very easy for them. Literally three clicks of the mouse! And it works on a reference list on a BO form as well.

Cheers Rod
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