getting an XML into xcelsius

other Xcelsius - Crystal Dashboard Design
1

Stupid question time, but I don’t really know what I’m doing with XML and all the posts I’ve read so far aren’t idiot-proofed enough for me! :crazy_face:

I have some data that is only likely to change on an annual basis. I got given it in a spreadsheet. I need to link it in to other data already in an xcelsius dashboard, so I can’t just use the spreadsheet as a source.

So I used this spreadsheet as an import into a small Access database, then wrote a basic Access query to grab the bits I needed and saved it as an XML file. It all looks great. I can open the XML file in Internet Explorer and (with my limited knowledge of XML), it looks fine, giving me 7 rows each of 9 columns of data.

Back to xcelsius. Opened up the data manager to try to set up a connection to grab this XML. And here is where I come unstuck. I put the URL in (the path to where I saved the XML), but it’s the Range bit I don’t get. When I click on the button to preview the XML, I get an empty file - with 7 rows, but no data. And the file path at the top isn’t the path to my XML file.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks

Debbie

UPDATE: I can create a connection to an aspx file that generates an XML. That works fine. But I don’t seem to be able to connect to a straight XML file itself.

Debbie :uk: (BOB member since 2005-03-01)

2

Hi Debbie,

See if the attached helps.

Range is where you would want the data from your XML to be donwloaded onto the spreadsheet. and the name would be the name of the variables in your xml file.
In my case the variable names are QUERY and CAPTION. You should be able to run this example on your machine by saving the xml, swf and html file in the same folder.

To generate the html and swf file…goto File >> Export >> html…
You would have to change the url to point to where you have saved this sample xml file. And then open the html.

I belive you would also need to go to
Adobe - Flash Player : Settings Manager - Global Security Settings panel and add your hdd (C or D drive) or the folder in question where you have saved the files.

Hope this helps.
All the best !

(I messed up with the zip file so many times…-;), hopefully it has all the required files to demonstrate the simple example…)
XML Test by Naresh Ganatra.zip (58.0 KB)

Naresh Ganatra :us: (BOB member since 2004-04-09)

3

Thanks, Naresh. Will take a look and hope nobody notices me downloading a zip from the internet… :shock:

debbie

Debbie :uk: (BOB member since 2005-03-01)

4

Welcome and feel free let me know if you have further questions on this.

Regards,

Naresh Ganatra :us: (BOB member since 2004-04-09)