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Design - Excel File Definitions ​

Clicking Design, opens the Excel Definition designer canvas. This area creates, maintains, and displays dataviews belonging to your Excel Definition - regardless of whether they apply to Source or Destination files.

These dataviews tell Statelake what files and records are to be used, and how they are to be used.

The first time this is opened for your File Definition, this designer canvas will be blank.

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On the designer canvas there is a different dataview for each file type as selected - an EXCEL File generates an Workbook Dataview.

Existing File Definition Dataview ​

If a Dataview already exists, it will display here on the designer canvas, such as the example illustrated below.

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Where a dataview exists and displays on the design canvas, the various tabs are accessible via the buttons on the dataview, as follow.

Dataview Tabs ​

Tab NameDescription
PreviewClick to see a preview of the data extracted by the query.
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RecordsClick to open the Records tab.
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FieldsClick to open the Fields tab.
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CalcsClick to open the Calcs tab.
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LinkClick to open the Link settings window. This will only be available to select where the dataview has a link to another dataview, or where there multiple dataviews but there are no links.
This example below shows the link button active on two (2) currently unlinked dataviews.
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New File Definition Dataview ​

To create the initial dataview on an empty canvas for a new Excel Definition, or to add another dataview, select File and New (or Ctrl-N) to create a new dataview to configure.

While the following examples illustrate an Excel Dataview, all dataviews are created in the same manner.

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Make sure to select the appropriate dataview - in this case it is a Workbook Dataview. Click on OK to continue.

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Buttons ​

Button NameDescription
OKClick to save any changes you have made. All changes will be lost if you do not click the OK button.
CancelClick to Cancel any changes you have made.