EXCEL# returns the result of an EXCEL spreadsheet calculation in TeLiTab format

Syntax

EXCEL#(Mode%, SourceSheet$, TargetSheet$, TelitabInput$, InputScript$, OutputScript$, [InpVar])

Arguments

Remarks

  1. EXCEL#() can be used to get data from, sent data to and to process data with an Excel sheet.
  2. Data can be send to Excel and retrieved from it in several ways. It will very much depend on the type of date, which type of data input and output is most useful. In all cases, the syntax of the expression does not change. However, the setup of the Excel sheets and syntax of the in- and output scripts WILL BE DIFFERENT. In the examples below this will be be explained.
  3. If OutputScript$ = "NullString", EXCEL#() returns the name of the TargetSheet$ as result. If in this case TargetSheet$ = "NullString", EXCEL#() returns: 0
  4. Please make sure that numbers taken from a worksheet are presented in decimal "." format (so 34.567 and not as 34,567). For Microsoft Windows, this can be adapted in Control Panel/Regional Settings. If you cannot change this due to other requirements, use the REPLINS$ function:

REPLINS$(Telitab$, ",", ".", 0)

in which Telitab$ is the result of the EXCEL#() function.

5. The scripts (both input and output) for EXCEL#() follows the TeLiTab rules for defining objects/telitabs etc. So, when you want to write something to a sheet named "input" from an object (or TeLiTab) named "DATA" containing parameter "A" and "B" as part of a TeLiTab also containing parameter "C". you can write:

TEXTITEM1=|
2
"C"        "input.c(1)"
"DATA"
{
2
"A"        "input.A(1)"
"B"        "input.B(2)"
}
|

C and DATA are list values in the TeLiTab and therefore TEXTITEM1 starts with 2. DATA is an object or TeLiTab and you want to get A and B from this TeLiTab. This can be written as a list of 2 values.

Please make sure the list number is placed below the bracket "{".

Furthermore, special characters (like "{" or "[") in names of the sheet items you refer to are a risk. It might work sometimes but we did not test all use cases.

6. You should never manually close the Excel sheet that is opened by Quaestor. Return to Quaestor and click on OK in the message box that asks you whether to close Excel. If you do close Excel manually, Quaestor is unable to retrieve data from the sheet.

Examples

In addition to the examples below, Knowledge engineer tutorials covers the use of MS Excel as a satellite. Furthermore, see also Tips & Tricks section of www.quaestor.org.

Example 1a: Writing data to Excel, the preferred method

If you want to export data to Excel to report data, process data or make a graph, the data needs to be sent to an Excel sheet, be processed and be saved under a different name.

Let the text parameter TelitabOutput$ be defined by

TelitabOutput$ = EXCEL#(1, "Calc_sheet.xls", "Result_sheet.xls", TelitabInput#, TEXTITEM$(1),"NullString")

This means that:

Our TelitabInput# consists of a single-case parameter "No_cases", and a large table of multi-case data:

1                    
"No_cases" 2000         
4 "Lpp" "B" "T" "Cb" 
"1" 100 15 6 0.55    
"2" 110 16 7 0.60    
"3" 120 17 8 0.65
"4" 130 18 7 0.60
"." ... .. . ....
"2000" 140 19 6 0.55

Let the input script in the dataslot of the EXCEL relation be:

TEXTITEM1=|
5
"No_cases" "main_dim.No_cases"
"Lpp"      "main_dim.Lpp(1)"
"B"        "main_dim.B(2)"
"T"        "main_dim.T(3)"
"Cb"       "main_dim.Cb(4)"
|

This means:

    1. Quaestor will go to the column number corresponding with the number behind the parameter name, in the case of Lpp this is the first column;
    2. Quaestor will start placing values below the point where it finds a cell with the value (not the name) corresponding to the name provided in the input script in front of the column number, in this case "Lpp";
    3. The same follows for the other multi-case parameters, which are placed in their corresponding columns below the cell with value "B", "T", etc. 

Preparation of the Excel sheet 

  1. Provide the worksheet with the correct sheet name (the tab value), for this example "main_dim";
  2. For individual values (such as "No_cases" in the example) name the cell you want to store a value in or get a value from:
  1. For multi case values (such as Lpp in the example):

The EXCEL sheet could look like this:

 

NOTE:

The described approach requires that the parameters (such as Lpp) have to be available in the indicated columns (1 for Lpp).

Moreover, if a parameter is available more than once in an indicated column, the first case will be taken into account as starting point to write the values.

Furthermore, you could place parameters in the same column. However, when the value represented the name of the parameter is overwritten during the process of writing the values of the other parameter in the column, Quaestor will not be able to find the overwritten value and an error will be the result.

Example 1b: Retrieving processed data from Excel

If data from excel should be imported to the knowledgebase, you should define an output script. (Note that in the above example no output script was defined). The output script is defined similar to the input script, for example:

By using a comparable relation as example 1a, but now with an output script added a TeLiTab with Lpp, V_eco, Rt and PE is received as result:

TelitabOutput$ = EXCEL#(1, "Calc_sheet.xls", "Result_sheet.xls", TelitabInput$, TEXTITEM$(1), TEXTITEM$(2))

with the output script defined by

TEXTITEM2=
|3
"Lpp" "main_dim.Lpp(1)"
"V_eco" "main_dim.V_eco_knots(10)"
"Rt" "main_dim.Rt(17)"
"PE" "main_dim.PE(18)"|

 

TelitabOutput$ will contain the table with all ships with length (Lpp, which was inserted to the sheet as input and is now read to be present in the TeLiTab), economical speed V_eco, resistance Rt and power PE. These values are read from the corresponding column indicated in the output script (1 for Lpp, 10 for V_eco etc.) and the rows below the cell with the value indicated in the output script (Lpp for Lpp, V_eco_knots for V_eco etc.).

Example 2: Writing complex multi case data sets to Excel, important additional feature!

Sometimes you want to write datasets in blocks of similar cases to an Excel sheet.

For example:

1                   
"No_cases" 6         
3 "TestNo" "Vs" "Ps"
"1" 10001 15 6500    
"2" 10001 16 7000    
"3" 10001 17 8000
"4" 10002 15 7000
"5" 10002 16 8500
"6" 10002 17 10000
"." ... .. . ....

In this example TestNo indicates the blocks of accompanying data for Vs and Ps.

You can imagine that you want to place these sets of Vs and Ps in separate columns for each TestNo. With the above discussed examples, this is not possible. Therefore, an alternative syntax for the input script is created.

Let the input script in the dataslot of the relation be:

TEXTITEM1=
|
4
"No_cases"  "main.No_cases"
"TestNo"     "main.TestNo(0+CASENO(TestNo)).1"
"Vs"           "main.Vs(0+CASENO(TestNo))"
"Ps"           "main.Ps(4+CASENO(TestNo))"
|

This means:

"main.TestNo(0+CASENO(TestNo)).1"


is comparable to example 1.

However, the expression between the brackets is a relation determining the column number. The following rules will be used:

  1. With CASENO(TestNo) you indicate that Quaestor should calculate the case/column number based on the change of TestNo. In our example this means that Quaestor will start (by default) with 1 as result for CASENO(TestNo). The moment the value for TestNo changes from 10001 into 10002, the result for CASENO(TestNo) will be 2, so 10001 will be writen in the first column and 10002 in the second one.
  2. Like a normal expression, you can carry out calculation. Thus (4+CASENO(TestNo) will start with column 5 and will change to column 6.

  3. The difference in syntax between 

    "main.TestNo(0+CASENO(TestNo)).1"



    and 

    "main.Vs(0+CASENO(TestNo))"



    is that, by placing ".1" behind "main.TestNo(CASENO(TestNo))", you indicated that only one value should be written, while using the method to jump columns. (for the moment only .1 is supported and only in combination with the CASENO syntax)

  4. Please do write CASENO in upper case.

While keeping the above rules in mind, this method will enable you to use a dynamic change of column numbers. However please note the following:

Example 3: Embed the workbook in the expression

In some cases it is more convenient to keep the sheet inside the knowledge base (when distributing the knowledge base as one file for instance).

An Excel sheet can be included in the frame of the expression that uses this sheet. Right click on the relation (not the parameter) in the knowledge browser, and select: Include Binary in frame... and select the Excel sheet you want to include in the frame.

The syntax of the expression using the embedded workbook is almost the same as in the previous examples, except you don't have to address the source sheet anymore. The expression becomes, for instance:

TelitabOutput$ =  EXCEL#(1, "", "", TelitabInput$, TEXTITEM$(1),TEXTITEM$(2))

Example 4: Writing data to Excel, alternative (classic) method

Use as the syntax:

TelitabOutput$ = EXCEL#(1, "Calc_sheet.xls", "Result_sheet.xls", TelitabInput$, TEXTITEM$(1), "NullString")

This means that:

An example TelitabInput$ would be (see TELITAB for a description of the TeLiTab format):

1                    
"No_cases" 4         
4 "Lpp" "B" "T" "Cb" 
"1" 100 15 6 0.55
"2" 110 16 7 0.60
"3" 120 17 8 0.65
"4" 130 18 7 0.60

An example of the input script in the dataslot of the relation would be:

TEXTITEM1=
|
5
"No_cases" "main_dim.No_cases"
"Lpp"      "main_dim.Lpp Ref*"
"B"        "main_dim.B Ref*"
"T"        "main_dim.T Ref*"
"Cb"       "main_dim.Cb Ref*"
|

This means:

Preparation of the Excel sheet

From the above explanation it is clear that you have to prepare your Excel sheet differently from example 1 to be able to receive the data as defined in the input script. You can do this as follows:

  1. Provide the worksheet with the correct sheet name, for this example "main_dim";
  2. For individual values (such as "No_cases" in the example):
  1. For multi values (such as Lpp in the example) an approach is to name a matrix of rows and columns. The row values will be the cases and the column values will be the parameters.

the first row:     Ref1
the second row: Ref2
etc.

Like in example 1b, reading data from a sheet prepared in a specific way is exactly the same as writing to it in that way. Thus by using the syntax of the input script as output script, you can also read from Excel sheets prepared as such.

Example knowledgebases

Knowledge engineer tutorials covers the use of MS Excel as a satellite (using example 1a and 1b).

 

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