Exporting Data to Excel

From some Web views you can export the data in the view to an Excel file by using the Export to XLS feature.

The export routine writes data directly to the XLS file, using a human-readable format, so that:

dates and times are formatted per the user's locale
enumerations show the display value (for example, Work Request Statuses would be "Issued", "Completed", or "Closed").
enumerations and titles are translated into the language corresponding to the user's locale.

Exporting to this format can be the most convenient way to get data into your spreadsheet because it uses downloaded email message format (MIME format), and can open directly in your spreadsheet just like an email attachment.

Note: You can also export data to Excel using Data Transfer. See Data Transfer Overview and Importing and Exporting Data: Overview.

Views from which Export to Excel command is available

Web Central

The Export to Excel command is available from some Web Central views.

Views that support this feature present the Export to Excel command in one of two formats:

click the XLS action button
select the Export button and choose XLS from the drop-down list

In addition to the views that automatically provide the Export to Excel feature, a system integrator can customize views to include the XLS action. You can see a sample view at Technologies / System Integrator Views / Parts for Reports / Report with DOC, PDF, Excel, and Data Transfer actions.

Smart Client

From the Smart Client, invoke Export to XLS feature by selecting the Ribbon's View / Export command from any grid view once the view is loaded:

When you load a grid view from the Smart Client's Navigator, the Export command becomes active.
If the grid view for which you want to export data is not available on the Navigator, you can use the Views tab to create the view you need. Once you create the view, you can use the Export command on the ribbon to export the data to Excel. See Creating New Grid Views.

The following images shows the Export command on the Smart Client Ribbon:

The fields and records that are exported

The Export to XLS action processes data from the main table in the view plus any standard table in the view. For example, if your view includes fields from the Rooms and Room Standards tables, the visible fields of data from these two tables will be exported.

The action respects restriction sets that you make withe Smart Search console and filters. For example, you can restrict the view to records of a certain department and then export only these records to an Excel file.

Tip: When you export to Excel using a view that has a restriction set, the data meeting the restriction is exported. For this reason, exporting to Excel can be useful if your restriction includes too many records to show on the screen; using the export feature enables you to see all the records meeting the restriction in the exported XLS file.

Procedure: Export a view's data to Excel

Load the view whose main table you want to export. This view must offer the Export to Excel feature (XLS button).
Click the XLS button.
The command writes the view's current table to an Excel file. (See above discussion for about the records and fields included in the export.)
A dialog asks if you want to open or save the Excel file.
If you select Save, a dialog appears. Use the dialog to select a location for the file.
If you select Open, the file opens in a pop-up browser window. You can save the file from Excel by giving the file a new name.