Banging my head against the wall on this one and every option I try has a problem with what i am trying to achieve.
So I have a pivot table in excel that is connected to a database. What I want to be able to do is have a link in another excel sheet to that pivot table, so that it picks up any changes to it in terms of data. The reason I am doing this is because I am putting the excel file up on sharepoint, but if a user downloads it, it retains the connection to the SQL Database, and because they are not authenticated, it doesn't refresh. I need them to be able to do this because it will allow them to customise their pivot table as needed, and it will retain that when they next open it. But the original pivot table, connected to the datasource, won't be affected.
I have tried:
Copying Pivot Table: I have copied the pivot table and pasted it in a new excel file, and this retains the connection to the SQL Database so doesn't work.
Moving Worksheet: I have tried moving the whole worksheet to a new excel file and this does again retains the link to the SQL Database.
Creating connection to excel file: This connected to the excel file, but the pivot table is lost and it simply shows the data in standard excel format.
Slicers: I have looked at slicers but this won't work either, because it means if he makes a change it is reflected in the original pivot table.
Sharepoint: I have looked at excel services on sharepoint. Although I can get him to view the data on the online excel, again, if he downloads it it loses the connection.
I guess I could change the authentication settings on SQLServer so that rather than using windows authentication I create a password and then that password is retained as I copy the file. Because this would only allow access to the view in the SQL Database this would prevent any detrimental activity. However, what I would really like to do is just give a copy of the excel file that connects to the original pivot table (so that when this updates this data is reflected in the copy on refresh), but any changes in the copy (i.e. formatting etc) only affect the copy.
If anyone knows how to do this I would be most appreciative of your help.
I may said something incorrect here, so pardon my lack of knowledge, but with the option:
Creating connection to excel file: This connected to the excel file, but the pivot table is lost and it simply shows the data in
standard excel format.
If I understand correctly, Creating connection to excel file provides a copy of the database in an excel file with all the source data from the original pivottable, and if by "connected to the excel file" you mean that any changes to the original pivottable is updated in this connected file in the copy of the database.
Then adding a replica of the pivottable in this connected excel file pointing to the copy of the data would not solve the problem?
Am I missing something?
Related
I have an external data source that implements row-level security.
I have an XLSX file which I want to distribute which will have a pivot table based on the external source. All of my users have an identically configured ODBC connection, except it uses each of their personal credentials and thus they have access to different data.
I've explored all of the connection & pivot table settings that supposedly give you such controls but they are not working for me. When I save my workbook, it seems that it is not possible to prevent the contents of the pivot table (as they currently look) from being saved. When a new user opens it, they will be able to see the current pivot table contents (which they perhaps shouldn't have access to) until they click "enable content", accept the various popups and/or wait for refresh.
Previously, I created a table based on external source and configured the connection to not save data - this worked. I then created a pivot table on top of the table range and configured it to not save source data. This sort of works except the table refreshes first and so the pivot table loses its settings and you have to start again with a blank pivot.
If you create a pivot table directly on the external source (rather than indirectly via a table), which I expect is the best practice, the tickbox in pivot table options for "Save source data with file" is greyed - presumably because excel knows the source data is actually external and so the question isn't relevant - except is is relevant because the pivot table output still contains data when saved
The only thing I can think of is is save the workbook as a user with 0 permission so the pivot table is structured correctly but with 0 contents and then send that round. Users will then see no/harmless data before it auto-refreshes at which point, they'll see what they should see.
Kind of feels like a glaring omission from excel. Am I missing something?
I have installed Powerpivot for Excel 2010. I don't have Access 2010 so I thought could I arrange the data in the similar manner as I would for a database.
I'm wanting to query an excel file that has rows of self-generated data into Powerpivot in order to perform simple pivot table. In a sense attempt to get an overview of information about a data set.
At the moment, I'm unable to get set up correctly the ODBC I'm hoping I need to accept an Excel file and to get PowerPivot to accept a database from an Excel file.
Edit: I come to understand that I need to set up a table correctly in Excel so that the ODBC works correctly. Does the picture I provided be right manner to set up a table or any other manner?
Has anyone attempted to do this and if so what would the steps be?
Thanks,
Peter.
Peter, I am working on the basis that your data is in a recognizable table on a worksheet (and that you are not interested in using the standard Excel import method through 'From Other Sources')
If you create the connection to the Excel file in a very particular way it is possible to then query it as if it were a database.
Create a Connection to the spreadsheet in question in Excel through Data>Connections>Add.
In the PowerPivot window on the Design tab click on existing connections and find the connection you just created. Select the connection and Open.
You need to name the connection and then you will be offered the normal import options. Select the sheet you want to get the table from (its actually not important which one you choose at this point).
Once the table has been imported you can re-enter the setup through the 'table properties' on the design tab and you will now be able to 'Switch to' the query editor at which point you can not only write SQL to query your DB but reference any other .xlsx you like.
Jacob
the easiest way is to use a linked table from the excel sheet which has the data - is there any reason why you have not considered this as an option?
I have a big workbook with a lot of data. In one sheet I have a table. This table is used for many Pivot tables used in other sheets, which are also used in other sheets.
The data for the table was copied manually regularly. I now have a external connection to import automatically the data but I'd like to avoid impacting other sheets.
How can I use my external connection without losing my table?
Thank you for your help
This might be a helpful workaround. I have successfully done this but it may require a bit of rework and not be the exact answer you expect. (I am using Excel 2010).
The reason for a workaround is I assume this is for a regular table (not a pivot table) as the source table. Unfortunately, I don't believe the switching connection options work for regular tables in Excel 2010.
Recreate a new table just below the other in the same worksheet by going to the Data tab > Get External Data > Existing Connections
Select your data connection (assuming it has been created) then select how you want to view the data. ie: Table
Place in your existing worksheet. Use your old table as a reference to reconnect all the connections to your other sheets, then delete the old table.
At this point, I find it easier to rebuild/copy those existing links to the new table with external data.
The good news: If your source table is a pivot table or pivot chart with an existing connection, you can easily change the table to have an external data connection (and switch between data connections).
For a pivot table with an existing connection you wish to change, select a cell in the table. In the ribbon above in 'PivotTable Tools' > Options tab > Change Data Source, you will be able to select this and reconnect to another source under 'Choose connection'.
For a pivot table with static data to introduce a new connection, I would suggest a similar workaround above.
I hope this works for you.
I'm going through this too. I've done some testing, and this is the approach I am going to take.
Save copy of file (just in case!)
Create a new sheet, and create link to your database, and have it entered as a table on this new sheet
Make sure your old table (manually entered) matches the same layout as the table with the data you are connecting to (same column order and column names)
For each pivot table, change the source to the new table (it should keep all of your setup the same if the columns are labeled the same)
Do a find and replace to change all formula referencing to the new table name.
Change any code in VBA that references the old tables
This should result in the least issues while making the changes. Just don't forget the first step!
If both connections/query are SQL or PostgreSQL, you can simply copy the query code from the new query to the old query. Then you do not even have to replace anything. "Edit" - "Advanced editor"
I have a spreadsheet that is emailed to me by an outside vender. It contains a bunch of pivot tables. I really couldn't care less about the pivot tables, I just want the underlying data. The data comes from a sql server that I don't have access to, but the data is stored within the spreadsheet. Is there anyway that I can access the data, (I think it's the PivotCache) directly without drilling into one of the pivot tables?
I'd love some sort of ODBC/ADO.Net command that I can use from SSIS. But am open to just about anything that doens't require me to open and save the workbook.
I'd also like to avoid macros if at all possible.
Here's the answer. Or at least what I did to resolve my problem.
There is really no way to accss the underlying PivotCache data except via pivot tables. So direct accss was out. I ended up using a script task with excel ole to dynamically create a pivot table with the data I needed at run time. Once the script task is done, I then use the new pivot table as my dataflow source. Excel can be a little tricky to automate, but it's worth it.
I have an xls with a pivot table using a proc to populate it.
I deleted the data connection in 'admin tools - odbc - file DSN' and it still works, how is that possible?
Does that mean that the recipent doesn't have to have the file DSN present in order to see data in the pivot table?
That is possible because when you use the file DSN, excel reads the content of the file, which essentially has all the entries to construct the connection string to outside data provider. Then Excel will construct the connection string and use that to populate the QueryTable. So once you successfully refresh the QueryTable for the first time, you no longer need that file DSN. So it will work event after you delete it or in some else’s machine without that DSN.
On a side note when you use file DSN in a QueryTable and later if you update the FileDSN (say to a new database or any thing like that) your QueryTable refresh will not reflect that change, you have to reconstruct the QueryTable.
when you create pivot table once, afterward that .xls file will work independently in your Hard Drive. So, it doesn't require any DSN furthermore.
The Pivot Table keeps a Pivot Table data cache behind it. You can manipulate this data any way your like, but it won't refresh, obviously, until you reconnect.
Stan Scott