Excel sections

An Excel section is like a report section in that it displays values from a record using the formatting and context of a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. It is different from a report section in that you can use it to perform calculations. Values computed by the spreadsheet can be used to update fields in the record associated with the form. Excel sections can also update fields in records that are directly or indirectly associated with the underlying record.

Excel sections are only supported when the user is running Internet Explorer. Excel sections are not supported for any other browser.

The main use for an Excel section is to perform computations that are not easily done within the platform. However, there is a major restriction.

Values computed by the spreadsheet can only be used to update the underlying record when a record's form is being used interactively by a person. Changes to a record that happen outside the interactive environment will not be processed by the Excel spreadsheet. In particular, the spreadsheet is not used to update fields when a workflow creates or modifies a record. Similarly, when records are created or modified by an application that runs outside the IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform, the Excel spreadsheet is not run to compute values.

The values used and updated by an Excel section come from the permanent data in records, not the temporary data in a form. So, when a user clicks the Calculate on an Excel section, the platform permanently saves the data and when it is calculated based on a state transition action, it only does so after the data is permanently saved. See "Temporary data" for an explanation of the distinction between temporary and permanent data.