Is it possible to insert a code so we can track all copied excel files in the future?
The reason why: we are creating a template excel file that people can copy and fill in. The problem is that they regularly have to fill in the same information so instead of starting from the template they copy the already filled in template.
If we decide to change the template, we want to change all the files that were copied so there are no multiple versions going around.
All the files are stored on a server in subfolders so We can access them all. Titles of the file will vary based on the wishes from the customer.
After reading you, I see that:
Summary:
You have one single Template that everybody copies
You store all the filled templates on one Server Subfolder
Title of the Files varies from Customer's needs
Challenges:
For Performance shake, you might need of a program than Excel to manage those files
Otherwise, it is possible to use Excel VBA, but is somehow/enough complicated so you would need to have an advanced skills and enough time to write everything handling that Subfolders' file renaming if you wish to collect the data in one Single Excel.
Suggested Solution:
I recommend you to have A Locked Worksheet + Workbook Excel
Template so your customers won't be able to edit its structure and
it will keep all of your templates to be the same.
You better have some kind of the Standard in the nomenclature of your Excel Files which will help you use that description later on for search/filter/sorting ...
You can have a Reset Button as well within the Template where your customers will click and will empty all the fields effortless.
In short, If you wish to track of files being copies, you would need more than Excel VBA for that as you need to play with A windows service for you to track them.
Hope this will give you some ideas. All the Best!
Related
I am trying to use metadata from an Excel file to use for filtering in our sharepoint libraby.
The excel file already contains dropdown menus to pick certain values from, which are then used to create a very lengthy filename. However for our new sharepoint libraby I would like to move those to metadata, so it can be made visible in sharepoint columns and users can filter.
The file is a template that should be filled by users and when ready saved after choosing certain values.
The creation of the filename is done in VBA and therefore all values I want to use are available there.
I've tried a number of approaches I found in forums using e.g. customdocumentproperties and made it work...sometimes... While it worked in the beginning, I cannot make it work now.
It seems changing the metadata is a problem. Creating the metadata fields for the first time worked, but then changing it, did not. I have the feeling I do not understand some basics on this action. Microsoft websites are not of any help here...
What is the best - flawless - way to use VBA to create, add, change metadata in the excel-file that can be made visiblle in the sharepoint library? And are there any typical problems?
I have a dozen spreadsheets with identical structure and formulas, essentially tables, only the data differ, say one spreadsheet per country.
For example there is a spreadsheet to manage the US employees, another for the UK employees, and another for the Canada employees.
They are exactly the same except that each will store a different set of employees.
The spreadsheets act both as a database to store data and a user-interface to interact with data.
Each change (updating or adding a formula, updating some drop-downs values, changing style...) has to be replicated in all the spreadsheets which is time consuming and error-prone.
As an example I could change the formula to compute the seniority of each employee by editing the 3 spreadsheets.
I was wondering if there was a reasonably simple way to avoid duplicating the common parts, only having different data.
I'd like to avoid a full-blown development with plenty of VBA code, a complete database, some user input forms... but if really necessary I can write some VBA and build some database to fill in the blanks if there is no out-of-the-box solution.
With a full-blown development I would do something like:
store all the employees in a single SQL database table
develop a single spreadsheet
when opening the spreadsheet ask the user to choose a country to only load the this country's employees
save the data changes to the database
If you're effectively talking about an efficient way to handle version control so that input sheets that have previously been distributed to users match a master template, then I'm afraid there is no out-of-the-box solution.
I use something along the lines of http://datapigtechnologies.com/blog/index.php/building-version-control-in-excel/ to force users to download the latest template should they be using an older one.
In addition, I also place a big note at the top to prompt users to download a new template each time, rather than recycle an old one, because if a user didn't enable macros the automatic download of the latest template won't kick in.
Note that the above screenshot shows a form that I've built in Excel's grid itself, using shudder merged cells. (i.e. It is not a userform)
If the templates need to preserve user-submitted data that isn't held centrally, then you're probably going to need to develop an add-in along the lines of what the authors do in the book Professional Excel Development.
could anyone suggest a way multiple user can access single Excel file(Database) using Single userform. I have a system where multiple users have to update single excel file (Adding or deleting record). So could any of you suggest how should i proceed. I know this is an software process question rather than a software code question. But still asking, if Anybody could help me as i cannot find a feasible solution to do so.
When you have a network share available, would 'Shared Workbook' do the trick? (sounds a lot like it to me). You basically check a box that the workbook is from now on 'shared'. Excel will allow several users in parallel to open the same file for editing. It will make sure that everyones writes end up in the file (and that each save gives you others' edits).
You can find more info e.g. here: https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/About-the-shared-workbook-feature-49b833c0-873b-48d8-8bf2-c1c59a628534?ui=en-US&rs=en-IE&ad=IE
This may not be what you want, but you an have multiple users editing multiple files, but have the data combined into a single file. This will work as long as you have a fixed maximum number of data editors (say 20). Just create a simple data entry file with the userform built in that stores the data entered in a sheet. Now create 20 copies of this, one for each user, and store them in a file sharing environment like SharePoint or a shared network drive. Now you can have the master "database" file aggregate them into a single file by using workbook links.
In order to be able to do things with them as if they were a single data set, you need to do a sort of union of the data, which is not straightforward in Excel. Again, you need to establish a hard maximum size for each user to edit - for example, 5000 rows. On a Sheet in your database workbook, designate rows 2-5001 for the first user, then leave an empty row (usually I color it black to make it easy to spot), then 5002-10003 for the next user, etc. In Cell B2, put the formula
=if('J:\Network folder\[Data Entry 1.xlsm]DataSheet'!B2="","",'J:\Network folder\[Data Entry 1.xlsm]DataSheet'!B2)
and fill that to all the cells in that range (down to row 5001). Then repeat in the next range (B5002, for the second range:
=if('J:\Network folder\[Data Entry 2.xlsm]DataSheet'!B2="","",'J:\Network folder\[Data Entry 1.xlsm]DataSheet'!B2)
Good day all,
I am very new to Access and VBA, so some of these questions may seem elementary, but any help offered would be greatly appreciated... I am a member of a recruiting organization, and am trying to build a database system that will greatly increase our administrative efficiency and quality of life. My organization insists on the use of Excel spreadsheets that are supplied to us to document our efforts and for our reports, thus ruling out the possibility of using the reports from Access. I have the underlying database pretty well ironed out, but what I need help with is taking that data and putting it in specific cells within an existing excel spreadsheet. Specifically, what steps do I need to tell access to do, how to select the appropriate worksheet, and how to select individual cells to send data to. I also need to link all of this to a button on a form labeled, say, "Generate Applicant Log"... Additionally, I would like both the database and all applicable template spreadsheets we would need to be located in the same folder that I can lock, so that I can send the whole folder to another user and all necessary files are included, but they can't get into the folder to mess with stuff. I am concerned this will affect whatever coding I would use due to the changing file path names from user to user, so any help in figuring out a way to tell access how to find the spreadsheets relative to where the database is so it always works no matter who's computer the folder is on or where it is at in the same computer, would also be greatly appreciated... I apologize in advance for the length of this inquiry, and graciously appreciate any help in this matter! Thank you for your time!
Rather than send data from Access to Excel, it is easier to pull data into Excel from Access. In Excel, on the "Data" tab select "from other sources" and build a Microsoft Query. I like to put the data into a spreadsheet and link the data into the sheet the user will see - I hide the original sheet. This way you can put all of the data into the hidden sheet, and then move things for the reports you need.
Using this method, I bring measurement data from a database, show it to users that need to review it, and run VBA routines to evaluate the data and highlight the interesting / important data. I also keep the users out of the original database.
I have my database on a server and I cannot offer help on sending the database and files to the user. I just send the file - they have access to the server and the data is refreshed each time the spreadsheet opens.
Like many, I have spreadsheet that draws data from over 40 text files as data sources. The text files are from another app, and need to be periodically updated into Excel.
The set of data source files and spreadsheet need to be able to be duplicated and run on different systems. This is where the astonishing inability of Excel to support data import from the spreadsheet folder (or relative paths at all) becomes a big problem. This question mentions the issue but has no solution.
I developed a crude workaround for this (IMHO) fundamental flaw in Excel. Map your spreadsheet folder to a drive letter with SUBST. Then import the data from the SUBST drive letter. That drive letter and path will become part of the spreadsheet, buried deep in dialogs, and very inconvenient to update. So instead, whenever you copy or move the spreadsheet, re-create the SUBST to the current folder. Ugly, but effective.
New Question: Using this technique, when I open the spreadsheet and click Refresh to refresh from the data sources, I have to click "Import" on over 40 dialogs - one for each file. How can I automate that process?
I discovered that under a data range properties, there is a setting for "Prompt for file name on refresh". By unchecking that, it is no longer necessary to click import for every linked file. The properties for each linked data source must be adjusted individually. There doesn't seem to be any ability to multi-select data sources.