Elements of the application window

Table of contents

• 1 Overview
• 2 Menu of Microsoft® EXCEL Add-In
• 2.1 IDL Connector-Reference
• 2.2 Refresh
• 2.3 Archives
• 2.4 Export
• 2.5 Tools
• 3 Elements of the application window
• 3.1 Menu bar
• 3.2 Resource tree
• 3.3 Input mask
• 3.4 Status bar

The application "IDL CONNECTOR" is representing itself by the Microsoft® EXCEL Add-In anhhhhhd by its application-window.

A single click of the IDL CONNECTOR-Button opens the functions.

The Microsoft® EXCEL Add-In is the interface between Microsoft® EXCEL and IDL CONNECTOR. All functions of IDL CONNECTOR can be activated by the symbol-bar of the Add-in or by Microsoft® EXCEL itself.

Marking a cell on the Excel-sheet followed by clicking the IDL CONNECTOR-Reference opens the IDL CONNECTOR Application window. In dependence of the cell's value following action should be executed:

• Case 1: Empty cell

The application should be opened and the preferences are shown on the input mask (look to preferences). The user can now define selection-criteria and finishes the application window by "OK"-clicking. The user enters a cell-formula in the marked cell (called reference) and the result is generated.

• Case 2: The marked cell contains a valid value

The selection-fields of the input mask on the application window are filled by values of the reference and can be modified now. See also case 1.

• Case 3: The cell contains values without references (=invalid references)

The user is asked about overwriting the cell or not: See also case 1.

• Selected Range - Updates the value of reference of IDL Konsis in the just selected range

• Sheet - Updates all references of the actual EXCEL-Sheet

• Workbook - Updates all references of the actual workbook

Example: There exists an actual reference to IDL CONNECTOR. This reference is not updated automatically if EXCEL is online at the time and data is changed in IDL Konsis also at the same time.

Pack

Pack warrants an exchange of EXCEL-Files between several user or PC environments where no IDL Konsis or IDL CONNECTOR is installed. If an unpacked IDL CONNECTOR-Reference file would be opened on a system without a IDL CONNECTOR an Error Messages would be shown.

• Selected Range - All cell-formulas of the actual selected range are transformed to comment fields

• Sheet - All cell-formulas of the actual EXCEL-Sheet are transformed to comment fields

• Workbook - All cell-formulas of the actual selected workbook are transformed to comment fields

ATTENTION: If an Excel-sheet is containing packed cells including IDL CONNECTOR-References or EXCEL-Formulas NO MORE cells should be added or deleted, because these references or formulas are "frozen" on packed condition. An update of the modified data doesn't happen, because it is actually known from EXCEL!

Unpack

All previous packed references are again activated.

• Selected Range - All cell-formulas of the actual selected range shall be activated.

• Sheet - All cell-formulas of the actual EXCEL-Sheet shall be activated.

• Workbook - All cell-formulas of the actual Workbook shall be activated.

The EXPORT-Function generates a text-file containing "written" relations, which are stored in a batch-file (mostly C:\IDL\Batch\...). These files are input files of IDL Konsis Import-Function.

• Selected Range - The actual selected range is scanned for valid "writing" references; these are stored as sequential files in the import format of IDL Konsis

• Sheet - The actual selected EXCEL-Sheet is scanned for valid "writing" references; these are stored as sequential files in the import format of IDL Konsis

• Workbook - The actual selected Workbook is scanned for valid "writing" references; these are stored as sequential files in the import format of IDL Konsis

Release

Transforms old IDL CONNECTOR-References to a new format.

• Rel Pack I - Transforms references of versions older than 1.6.0 to the format of version 1.6.0

• Rel Pack II - Transforms references of versions newer than 1.6.0 but older version 2.0.0 to the format of version 2.1.1.

Find and Replace

Searches and updates text of a format pattern

• Selected Range - Search and update the actual selected range

• Sheet - Search and update the actual selected EXCEL-sheet

• Workbook - Search and update the actual selected workbook

Example Find and Replace function:

1. Creating and exchange table - Using the function "search and update" the user has to create an EXCEL-table firstly. Column A contains keys, which shall be exchanged, and column B contains the new keys.
2. Convert the value - Now the user should open the EXCEL-Sheet, which contains the values to be changed. Mark the update range and start Tools => Find and Replace => Selected Range.

Notice:the whole sheet or the workbook should be updated the user starts without marking anything:

• Tools => Find and Replace => Sheet or

• Tools => Find and Replace => Worksheet

Creating a copy of an active workbook and deleting formulas

This function is available since IDL CONNECTOR version 2.1.9. If this function is executed all formulas are replaced by fixed values followed by die dialog "save as...". The filename should be extended by the prefix "WP" to produce results for company?s chartered accountant suppressing IDL CONNECTOR-References.

Insert list box/active cell

The function 'Insert list box/active cell' makes it possible to set the user an IDL listing box in one (or several) devoid of cell (s) .A list box is a Dropdownbox as it is used e.g. itself in the IDL Connector application window. By the listing box the user is able to select the desired parameters without having to open the IDL application window. Any IDL Connector references, on this listing box / Excel cell these will provide with references after a customization of the parameters updates as normal.

The following list boxes are supported:

The required parameter needed to generated a listbox are stored as pre-allocation of the IDL Connector. No draft of the accounts, cost center plan or position plan should have been indicated in the pre-allocation, then the formula must be adapted by the user according to the above description to be able to use the listing box.

List boxes slow down the general speed of Microsoft® EXCEL, the IDL-list boxes are therefore displayed only when required if the cell is activated by the user.

View

The Menu "View" supports the user to decide if the application windows "Resource-tree" and/or "Input-mask" should be shown.

Extras

The menu "Extras" supports the user to decide if infos and options should be selected

• Options =>Online-Language - This masks supports the user to decide which Online- and Group-Language should be adjusted.

• Options => Input convention - This mask supports the user to change the Input convention as shown in the dialog.

• Options => Default choice - The function Default choice supports the user to decide how the resource tree has to be after start a new IDL CONNECTOR reference.

• Options => CacheSince Version 2.19 SR1 (Service Release 1) the IDL Connector uses a Cache. If Cache is activated all results of Connector-formulas are stored. If a work-sheet-map is stored during the cache-mode-2 is active and re-opened immediately the map is displayed within seconds again. This is a preeminently function if the user wants to modify some parameters before IDL Connector updates the references. In this case the IDL Connector has no access to actual data on the database but has access to the data, which are saved during the last update and storing!! If the user needs updated results the Connector-bar should be activated and Workbook should be renewed by click. It is recommended to use the option ?Cache values for workbook? as standard-option (Cache-mode 2). After cache-mode-changing the IDL Connector and EXCEL should be closed and opened for further working for activating the changed cache-mode

• Options => Quantity Typ - The selection of a quantity-type supports the user do determine how the quantity values should be displayed.

• Options => IDL Konsis-Version - Selection of an "IDL IDL Konsis Version" defines the export format of a text file. Users working with the "old" user interface should choose "KONSIS Version up to 4.3.3". Users with the new GUI (graphic user interface) should choose "KONSIS Version 5.0 or higher".

The resource tree supports the user to move along the menu-bars to select the chosen application by click. Then the chosen mask will be shown.

General

Yellow fields are as known from IDL Konsis as mandatory-fields; input value is forced. White fields are optional fields the user is able to constrain an IDL CONNECTOR reference. All further elements are descriped in the following screenshot.

• The information of mode shows the way in which a result should be displayed on the EXCEL-Sheet. "M" means Quantity (all selected values), "S" means selected value.

The next picture shows the elements of status-bar and explanation.