I have build a dashboard using all .xml data with Excel XML Connections.
I have the xml data refreshing automatically from reports and outputting to the files. I have verified the new data is in the xml file. When I open the dashboard in preview or via open doc the new xml data is not displaying in the dashboard components. I have another dashboard using several of the same components and it is working fine.
I can not figure out the difference in the two dashboards.
I have looked around on some of the BOBJ discussions and I set the worksheets in the embedded workbook to either over write the existing data or to append the data to existing tables. It is still not working.
Please Help! I do not want to have to open the dashboard everyday and manually refresh to get the new data to appear.
Try building a brand new simple grid component over the range where your data comes in. That should tell you whether it’s a component issue or a connectivity issue.
I don’t really understand what “simple grid” means. sorry, I am such a novice. Are you talking about adding a new component to the dashboard that is a spreadsheet type to see if the information is pulling into another type of component?
A bit more information - Debby I read an earlier post of yours with some hints that i tried but are not working. The scenario is this: Daily inventory balances are being manually calculated and added to an Excel Spreadsheet and I need to update a Combination Chart with new daily inventory balances automatically in the dashboard. The way I have it now is not working.
the Excel spreadsheet .xls is building a column per day then I export this to the .xml file.
The embedded workbook is set up to “see” the new data via an xml map but it is not being pickeed up in the chart. I tried setting the properties on the worksheet to append the information but it is creating new rows not new columns and none of them have the new information!
So I am going to set it back to overwrite. And continue poking at it until I get it to work.
Yep. Exactly that! There’s a “grid” component that does nothing fancy to complicate things but will show you just what’s in the range you point it it. If it shows data then your problem is with displaying the data. If it doesn’t then your problem is connectivity - getting the data in.
If you seach this forum way back, I linked to an excellent blog post that showed you exactly how to set up a spreadsheet to generate an XML map that xcelsius can read via an XML MAP connection. You are using an XML MAPS and not just plain XML connection, aren’t you?
If you set up your spreadsheet correctly, you can save once (to save excel XLS file as normal) and the do a SAVE AS to update the XML MAP you have created. Then xcelsius will automatically read the map file via the map connection.
But you say it is creating new rows and not new columns? How do you know this? Is there something coming through? And |I’m not really sure what you mean by append/overwrite. You essentially have a “new” data block each time (albeit with an extra column) and you need to make sure your component will always have enough space to accommodate the max number of columns you will need. Not ideal as you have less columns thatn rows to play with (personally I’d transpose the columns to rows in your original spreadasheet on another tab and maybe aggregate too).
Sorry. Does that make sense? It’s barely 8 am and I haven’t had enough coffee yet. Post some sample data if you like. I’ll try to fin dthat link but I’m stuck in meetings most of today…
Debbie
ETA: Here you go:
The Mr Excel link is the one I used. Although you’ve probably got all this working anyway.
nope! not yet. I feel really truely stuck.
I am certain that we are able to build columns dynamically, but I don’t know how.
I am using the XML Map connection in the data manager.
I will try to be more clear about my exact steps.
Data is generated out of our system and noted in an Excel spreadsheet. We then go to the developer tab and Export the data to the .xml file.
The data we are creating is daily balances.
I have the xml map built in my embedded spreadsheet in Xcelsius and the data connection is set up.
I have mapped 25 columns (workdays per month)
and one row (inventory balance)
I am connecting this data to a bar chart component.
every day I go into the External excel spreadsheet, updata the inventory balance and export it to the xml again. Since my dashboard is connected to my xml source I would think it would pick up the new data. The only time I can get the dashboard to see the new data is if I refresh the embedded spreadsheetin the design tool. I will fiddle around a bit with Mr. Excels suggestion to see if I can make it work.
Thanks for all your assistance, you are awesome!
Vickie
Forgetting xcelsius for a minute. Have you tried loading your XML file straight into a browser window? Then update the sourec spreadsheet and export to XML. Refresh the browser - does the new data come through?
I think I may have the solution. On Friday I was getting inconsistent data and couldn’t figure out why. Well, it seems to be a cashing issue. It appears that my browser is hanging on to the first dashboard I open. So the data was refreshing correctly but I couldn’t see it because of the cashing issue. Super frustrating.
On a brighter note…I now understand better how the XML works and I very much appreciate all your assistance! You are a gem.
Ah. If you get into caches and browsers, I’m out of my depth on the techie stuff! But you seem to be getting there - I did everything the hard way too (I still do…)
So I really figured it out this time. It might have been caching but…not this time. This time what it really is is a re-import issue.
So here is what I did…I created a Excel workbook in Excel with xml maps. I got the whole thing set up and imported it into my dashboard. In the course of working with my data, as will often happen, the requirement changed. So instead of re-importing a new spreadsheet I deleted the worksheet from my workbook and created a new worksheet, adding the xml map directly to the embedded spreadsheet in Xcelsius - WRONG! This was the entire cause of my issue. What a pain…
I really like Xcelsius but I don’t like that it retains data somewhere, somehow, and breaks things. It is truly an unfortunate weakness of the software. I tried to clear, I really did delete the entire spreadsheet and still it broke the dashboard.
Lesson learned and there must be a better way…
until next time!
Vickie
Its not possible for a SWF to cache data. Your browser, yes, but thats a browser setting used to load web pages faster on the next time you visit them. It can be turned off.
Also, it seems you are fighting the same issue as everyone else - Changing requirements. This software does not lend itself to rapidly changing requirements…the “blueprints” need to be final before you begin the model…if requirements are still unvalidated, then its difficult to get the job done as you spend hours re-developing the model.
Train your management to do better with defining the project on the first go…life will get easier.
well at least I know i’m not alone in this frustration!
Thanks. and I will turn off the caching in the browser.
must be the history and cookies…
Vickie
(BOB member since 2008-06-05)
(BOB member since 2005-03-01)
There’s a “grid” component that does nothing fancy to complicate things but will show you just what’s in the range you point it it. If it shows data then your problem is with displaying the data. If it doesn’t then your problem is connectivity - getting the data in.
