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Module 03: Excel Add-in Setup

The free OpenDataDSL Excel Add-in connects your spreadsheets to the platform. Once it is set up you can search for data, download timeseries, curves, events and reports into a worksheet, refresh them, and upload changes back, all from a task pane inside Excel.

Learning Objectives​

By the end of this module you will be able to:

  • Install the add-in from the Microsoft store
  • Open the OpenDataDSL task pane and sign in
  • Recognise the toolbar and the home screen cards
  • Check the add-in settings and the environment you are working in
  • Download your first item to confirm everything works

Prerequisites​

  • A user account in your company's OpenDataDSL tenant (you have signed in to the portal in Module 01)
  • One of the supported versions of Excel:
    • Excel on Windows (Microsoft 365)
    • Excel on Mac (Microsoft 365), or Excel 2019 or later on Mac
    • Excel on the web
Company policies

The add-in is a Microsoft approved Office add-in available from the Microsoft store. Some companies control which add-ins users may install. If you cannot find or add it, ask your IT team.

Step 1: Install the Add-in​

  1. In Excel, go to the Home tab and select the Add-ins button

    The Add-ins button on the Home tab

  2. Select the Get Add-ins button

    The Get Add-ins button

  3. In the Office Add-ins dialog, select STORE and type opendatadsl or odsl in the search box

    Searching the store for the OpenDataDSL add-in

  4. Select Add next to the OpenDataDSL add-in

When it is installed, a Show Dashboard button appears in an OpenDataDSL group on the Home tab.

Step 2: Open the Dashboard and Sign In​

  1. On the Home tab, select Show Dashboard. The OpenDataDSL task pane opens on the right of the worksheet
  2. The first time, you are asked to log in. Use the same corporate credentials you use for the Web Portal

The log-in screen

Use Show Dashboard again whenever you want to show or hide the task pane.

Step 3: Get to Know the Task Pane​

The task pane with its toolbar and home screen cards

The toolbar​

ButtonWhat it does
HomeGoes back to the home screen
CreateCommands to create new master data, timeseries, curves and events
DownloadCommands to download master data, timeseries, curves, events and reports
UploadUploads new or changed data from your worksheet
RefreshRefreshes the data in your worksheet from the platform
Settings (gear icon)The add-in settings
Your profile pictureA menu with logout and copyright information

The home screen cards​

Each kind of data has a card with quick links:

CardLinks
Master Data, Timeseries, Curves, Matrices, EventsCreate, Download, Upload
ReportsDownload
UploadUpload any kind of data from your spreadsheet
RefreshRefresh any kind of data on your spreadsheet

The cards and the toolbar lead to the same screens, so use whichever you prefer.

Step 4: Check the Settings and Environment​

Select the Settings (gear) icon to see the add-in settings.

If your company has more than one data environment, such as production and a test environment, make sure you are working in the right one before you upload anything. In the screenshot above, the badge next to the gear icon shows the current environment (DEV).

Use a test environment for training

If your administrator has set up a training or test environment, select it before doing the exercises in Modules 04 and 05, so that practice uploads never reach production data.

Step 5: Find and Download Your First Item​

  1. On the home screen, select Download on the Timeseries card
  2. Choose the public source
  3. Type ECB EURGBP into the search box. Each extra word narrows the list
  4. On the #ECB_FX.EURGBP:SPOT row, select the download icon

The values are written into your worksheet. If you see them, the add-in is installed, signed in and working.

Search tips​

The search box works the same way as in the portal: words are matched against the id, name and description, and all of them must be present.

You typeYou find
europe | usaEither word
europe -potatoeurope but not potato
(europe | usa) potatopotato and either europe or usa
#wheatItems tagged wheat
location=belgiumbelgium anywhere in the location field

Troubleshooting​

What you seeWhat to try
No Show Dashboard buttonCheck that the add-in was added (Step 1) and look in the OpenDataDSL group of the Home tab
Log-in failsUse the same company account as the portal. If the portal works but Excel does not, ask your IT team
The data you expect is missingCheck the source (public or private) and the environment you are in
You made a mistake on extracted dataExcel's undo (CTRL+Z) reverses your last action on data the add-in extracted

Exercise​

  1. Install the add-in and sign in
  2. Open the Settings and note which environment you are in
  3. Download #ECB_FX.EURGBP:SPOT into a new worksheet
  4. Use the search box to find all the ECB timeseries for the euro against the US dollar or the Japanese yen, using the | operator

Summary​

TaskHow
InstallHome, Add-ins, Get Add-ins, STORE, search opendatadsl, Add
Open the task paneHome, Show Dashboard
Sign inSame corporate credentials as the portal
Check the environmentSettings (gear icon) and the environment badge
Find dataA card's Download link, then search

Further reading: Excel Add-in guide, Finding data in Excel

Next Step

In Module 04 you will download, edit and upload events. Module 04 lives in the Technical track but needs no coding.