Excel Connection

Access the steps to develop a data connection based on the CSV file.

Use an Excel Connection to load data from an .xlsx/.xls file into Designer and bind it to charts and other components.

Create a new Excel connection

1. Click the Data Connectors icon to display all the available data sources.

2. Click the Create New Connection icon next to Excel.

• A new connection gets added under the Excel connection type.

1. Select the new Excel connection.

• The connection-specific details get displayed on the right side of the page.

Configure the connection

• Name: Name the connection.

• Browse: Click the Browse icon to select an Excel file.

• Sheet Name: Select a specific sheet from the drop-down menu.

• Load at Start: Enable this option to get the updated data from the data source before loading it into charts.

• After the connection is established, the Field Set tab displays all the fields.

Apply a Condition filter (optional)

1. Select the Condition tab.

2. Put checkmarks in the given boxes and provide a condition to filter the selected data.

   • E.g., The selected Conditions for the Category field is Catalog.

Script on Load (optional)

Click the Script on Load icon provided next to the connection to navigate to the Script tab, where the user can trigger a script to produce some action on the connection.

Associate the Excel connection with a charting component

1. Open the Designer canvas for a dashboard.

2. Click Component Library, drag a charting component onto the canvas.

3. Right-click the component and select Dataset (or Dataset property).

4. Choose your Excel connection.

5. Drag the required fields (dimensions/measures) from Field Set into the component’s bindings.

6. Click Preview to validate; Save when satisfied.

Tips:

• Use Load at Start for frequently updated spreadsheets to ensure visuals load the latest data.

• Keep worksheet structures stable (headers/field names) to avoid breaking bindings.

• Name connections clearly (e.g., Excel_Sales_2025_Q1) for easy reuse across components.

Troubleshooting

• No fields in Field Set: Confirm the correct Sheet Name is selected and the sheet has header rows.

• Condition not applied: Ensure the condition is enabled (checkmark) and field names match the Field Set.

• Chart shows no data: Verify the chart is bound to the Excel connection and the required fields are mapped.

• Script not taking effect: Save the script in Script on Load and refresh (or use Load at Start).