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Subject:Re: Excel and large numbers of linked files From:Peter <pnewman1 -at- home -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 27 Dec 2001 21:29:21 -0500
Elna Tymes wrote:
> Let me see if I have this straight. The "snapshot" file will actually be one big
> spreadsheet with something like one cell (or more) for each of the 800 account
> files. Right? And she wants to view the whole thing from a Siebel database?
>
> First off, every time you open an Excel worksheet, it updates the data for all the
> links in the worksheet. So if there are, say, 800 cells with links to other files,
> it should go retrieve the updated data from each of those files as it opens. May
> take some time, but yes, it will reflect updated data.
The update is not necessarily automatic. From the help files for Excel
2000!
"When you open a workbook that contains links, Microsoft Excel prompts
you to update all links to Internet or Web data. Use this procedure if
you need to download the latest version of the linked data for an open
workbook.
On the Edit menu, click Links.
The Links command is unavailable if your file does not contain linked
information.
In the Source file list, click the source for the linked object, and
then click Update Now.
To select multiple linked objects, hold down CTRL and click each linked
object.
Note To stop the update during downloading, click the link being
updated in the Links dialog box, and then click Stop Update"
My understanding is that you can write a simple VBA macro to control the
update. The length of time to perform the update will have many
variables, including the size and type of network, the configuration,
how many users are accessing the linked files and what are they doing.
> Second, your boss wants to view things from a Siebel database, which means that the
> link(s) from the worksheet to the database will also have to be established. If
> any of those need calculating, that could also take time. (Why not just view the
> thing from the Excel snapshot worksheet?)
You may be right, but I would make the suggestion in a very diplomatic
manner. If my suggestion is not considered, her instructions should be
followed, literally. (hopefully with the aid of a friendly VBA expert.
--
Peter
Mailto:peternew -at- optonline -dot- net
Adapting old programs to fit new machines
usually means adapting new machines to
behave like old ones.
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