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IDL Xlslink - Getting Started

Table of Contents

1 First entry aid for IDL.XLSLINK - the first program start and the conversion of tables

The following steps are necessary to install the IDL.XLSLINK and to convert old tables:

2 AddIn Installation in Menu 'Excel-Extras'

Please start IDL.XLSLINK.exe. You will find this file in

  • IDL > Components > xlslink > x86 > IDL.XLSLINK.exe (for MS Office Version 32Bit)
  • IDL > Components > xlslink > x64 > IDL.XLSLINK.exe (for MS Office Version 64Bit)

The menu items are:

  • Excel
  • Excel -> Extras
  • IDL KONSIS
  • Settings
  • IDL.XLSLINK

3 Definition of basic settings in the menu 'Settings'

Now, certain parameters can be defined, which ensure that the program will find the program path without searching for it again. For this you need to initiate in the menu 'Settings' the sub-menu 'Application'. It is divided into 3 areas:

  1. General Settings (upper section)
  2. Preferences (left bottom section)
  3. Section to specify additional databases (right bottom section)

Image: 3 sections in menu 'Settings'

3.1 General Settings (upper section)

Explanation of the fields:

[Start folder]: Specified the installation path of IDL Konsis

[Used INI-file]: Input the desired INI-file (stored in the folder 'system' in the IDL-path). As long as no file is entered, IDL.XLSLINK automatically tries to find the file.

[Log]: If this field is marked, a LOG-file is written. The LOG-file is stored in 'Settings' + 'Folder' -'LOG'.

[Nerworkinstallation]: if the IDL.XLSLINK-file is installed on a server you have to mark this field, for enabling a start from the network drive.

[Connect mode]: if you use the IDL.KONSIS installation 'Application Server/Cloud' this field has to be marked. The default value is 'J' and should be modified in consultation with the IDL technical hotline.

[Long prompt texts]: the setting in this field is dependent on the display resolution mode used. The higher the value entered, the more space for the field labels will be set up.

[Language]: specifies in which language the user interface is shown. A change is yet valid with the next start.

[Show Data immediately]: if this field is marked, the data will be shown immediately after finishing the formula. If this field is not marked, the display of the data starts yet after pressing -update formula+ as an extra menu-item.

[Periode as dateformat]: There are tables in which the period is specified as a date (and possibly the date user-defined 'reformatted+ as a period). Reading the date format as a period requires a certain reading function. By marking this field, IDL.XLSLINK can read the date format as period, both user-defined formats and text formats.

Image: Example for date formats

[Use ribbon]: This field is marked automatically during installation and ensures that IDL.XLSLINK is shown in Excel as a separate ribbon. NOTE: Excel2003 does not support this type of installation, so that in this case the hook has to be removed after installation. For this the user must have write permission for the file IDL_ExcelDNA.dna in path <KONSISISTALLATIONSPFAD>\Components\xlslink\x86\IDLADDIn or <KONSISISTALLATIONSPFAD>\Components\xlslink\x64\IDLADDIn

[Check external links]: if this field is marked, it is automatically checked while opening an Excel-file whether cell references to other Excel tables still exist. By default, this field is not marked.

3.2 Preferences (left bottom section)

Basically, the Default is taken from the application 'VOR' of IDL.KONSIS into IDL.XLSLINK. Certain fields are not included and would have to be re-entered in each input mask. The entered data are used when opening the input masks. Those fields are [System], [Mode], [Currency code] and [Balance option].

Image: example +default data+ (red marking)

3.3 Section to specify additional databases (right bottom section)

IDL.XLSLINK can access different databases. An extended specification of databases is possible here.

[System]: name of your choice, which is used for processing within IDL.XLSLINK-formulae. This name is independent from the database name.

[Database]: the real name of the database (e.g.: NB-ISL-KL.00.mssql120)

[Start folder]: Specifies a default installation path of IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST.

[Used Ini-file]: Specifies a special INI-file (stored in the folder 'system' in the IDL-path) for this connection. As long as no file is given, IDL.XLSLINK automatically uses the INI-file from above.

4 Testing connection with menu IDL KONSIS - Login

You have to call up the submenu 'login' which you find in menu 'IDL KONSIS' to connect to the IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST-Database. The login follows immediately. If there is more than one connection defined IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST login follows after selection of a database. After confirmation with 'o.k.' the field 'server connection' in the main menu of IDL.XLSLINK will be updated.

Image: Update of 'server-connection'

Once the connection is displayed in the bottom line you can work with IDL.XLSLINK.

5 Convert old IDL Connector-tables

In order to continue to use tables created with IDL Connector (old) they must be converted. While converting, the old formulas will be replaced by the new formulas. Here, no results will be transferred. For generation of results, the tables have to be refreshed.

There are two ways to convert the tables:

convert a single file
in menu 'Excel->Extras' choose the function 'convert old files ' and in the file selection dialog, select the appropriate file.
convert all files in a folder
in menu 'Excel->Extras' choose the function 'convert old files (batch)', all files of the specified folder will be converted.

If the table contain invalid cell references or links, possibly the automatic conversion of these references does not work (identified by the field entry #NAME). In this case, the cursor has to positioned on the respective cell and the 'Check' function (under 'Tools' -' Extras' - 'Convert' ) has to be initiated manually.

Image: Additional step to update files with invalid fields or links
Published:

IDL Xlslink - Getting Started

Table of Contents

1 First entry aid for IDL.XLSLINK - the first program start and the conversion of tables

The following steps are necessary to install the IDL.XLSLINK and to convert old tables:

2 AddIn Installation in Menu 'Excel-Extras'

Please start IDL.XLSLINK.exe. You will find this file in

  • IDL > Components > xlslink > x86 > IDL.XLSLINK.exe (for MS Office Version 32Bit)
  • IDL > Components > xlslink > x64 > IDL.XLSLINK.exe (for MS Office Version 64Bit)

The menu items are:

  • Excel
  • Excel -> Extras
  • IDL KONSIS
  • Settings
  • IDL.XLSLINK

3 Definition of basic settings in the menu 'Settings'

Now, certain parameters can be defined, which ensure that the program will find the program path without searching for it again. For this you need to initiate in the menu 'Settings' the sub-menu 'Application'. It is divided into 3 areas:

  1. General Settings (upper section)
  2. Preferences (left bottom section)
  3. Section to specify additional databases (right bottom section)

Image: 3 sections in menu 'Settings'

3.1 General Settings (upper section)

Explanation of the fields:

[Start folder]: Specified the installation path of IDL Konsis

[Used INI-file]: Input the desired INI-file (stored in the folder 'system' in the IDL-path). As long as no file is entered, IDL.XLSLINK automatically tries to find the file.

[Log]: If this field is marked, a LOG-file is written. The LOG-file is stored in 'Settings' + 'Folder' -'LOG'.

[Nerworkinstallation]: if the IDL.XLSLINK-file is installed on a server you have to mark this field, for enabling a start from the network drive.

[Connect mode]: if you use the IDL.KONSIS installation 'Application Server/Cloud' this field has to be marked. The default value is 'J' and should be modified in consultation with the IDL technical hotline.

[Long prompt texts]: the setting in this field is dependent on the display resolution mode used. The higher the value entered, the more space for the field labels will be set up.

[Language]: specifies in which language the user interface is shown. A change is yet valid with the next start.

[Show Data immediately]: if this field is marked, the data will be shown immediately after finishing the formula. If this field is not marked, the display of the data starts yet after pressing -update formula+ as an extra menu-item.

[Periode as dateformat]: There are tables in which the period is specified as a date (and possibly the date user-defined 'reformatted+ as a period). Reading the date format as a period requires a certain reading function. By marking this field, IDL.XLSLINK can read the date format as period, both user-defined formats and text formats.

Image: Example for date formats

[Use ribbon]: This field is marked automatically during installation and ensures that IDL.XLSLINK is shown in Excel as a separate ribbon. NOTE: Excel2003 does not support this type of installation, so that in this case the hook has to be removed after installation. For this the user must have write permission for the file IDL_ExcelDNA.dna in path <KONSISISTALLATIONSPFAD>\Components\xlslink\x86\IDLADDIn or <KONSISISTALLATIONSPFAD>\Components\xlslink\x64\IDLADDIn

[Check external links]: if this field is marked, it is automatically checked while opening an Excel-file whether cell references to other Excel tables still exist. By default, this field is not marked.

3.2 Preferences (left bottom section)

Basically, the Default is taken from the application 'VOR' of IDL.KONSIS into IDL.XLSLINK. Certain fields are not included and would have to be re-entered in each input mask. The entered data are used when opening the input masks. Those fields are [System], [Mode], [Currency code] and [Balance option].

Image: example +default data+ (red marking)

3.3 Section to specify additional databases (right bottom section)

IDL.XLSLINK can access different databases. An extended specification of databases is possible here.

[System]: name of your choice, which is used for processing within IDL.XLSLINK-formulae. This name is independent from the database name.

[Database]: the real name of the database (e.g.: NB-ISL-KL.00.mssql120)

[Start folder]: Specifies a default installation path of IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST.

[Used Ini-file]: Specifies a special INI-file (stored in the folder 'system' in the IDL-path) for this connection. As long as no file is given, IDL.XLSLINK automatically uses the INI-file from above.

4 Testing connection with menu IDL KONSIS - Login

You have to call up the submenu 'login' which you find in menu 'IDL KONSIS' to connect to the IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST-Database. The login follows immediately. If there is more than one connection defined IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST login follows after selection of a database. After confirmation with 'o.k.' the field 'server connection' in the main menu of IDL.XLSLINK will be updated.

Image: Update of 'server-connection'

Once the connection is displayed in the bottom line you can work with IDL.XLSLINK.

5 Convert old IDL Connector-tables

In order to continue to use tables created with IDL Connector (old) they must be converted. While converting, the old formulas will be replaced by the new formulas. Here, no results will be transferred. For generation of results, the tables have to be refreshed.

There are two ways to convert the tables:

convert a single file
in menu 'Excel->Extras' choose the function 'convert old files ' and in the file selection dialog, select the appropriate file.
convert all files in a folder
in menu 'Excel->Extras' choose the function 'convert old files (batch)', all files of the specified folder will be converted.

If the table contain invalid cell references or links, possibly the automatic conversion of these references does not work (identified by the field entry #NAME). In this case, the cursor has to positioned on the respective cell and the 'Check' function (under 'Tools' -' Extras' - 'Convert' ) has to be initiated manually.

Image: Additional step to update files with invalid fields or links
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