Setting Up File Paths for Workbooks

As an administrator, you can define a folder where planning view workbooks are downloaded to, and stored in when users open planning view templates or favorites.

The location you specify is where all workbooks for a given planning area are saved for all users, unless they specified their own file path for workbooks. You can define the file path in the About group of the SAP IBP ribbon, under Start of the navigation path Settings Next navigation step Default User Settings End of the navigation path . If no custom file path is set, the default %Temp%\SAP_IBP is used.

You can specify absolute file paths, but since absolute paths might not work for all business users (the path must exist on each computer), you can also use relative paths, in addition to special folders and environment variables.

Absolute Paths

The Excel add-in allows users to select a static file path. These are referred to as absolute paths. When defining an absolute file path, you need to make sure that it exists on each computer, where the Excel add-in is used.

Relative Paths

By using a relative path, you don’t need to specify the complete file path, because Windows converts these to an absolute path depending on the computer setup.

If you enter only the folder name where you want to save the workbooks, the folder is added to the path maintained in the Default local file location field in Microsoft Excel under Start of the navigation path File Next navigation step Options Save End of the navigation path . If you enter a backslash (\) before specifying the folder name, the folder is added to the current directory where the application is installed.

The following table shows examples of how the path can be set up and what the absolute path would look like, assuming the application is installed on the C:\ drive and the Default local file location field of Microsoft Excel is set to the user’s folder C:\Users\Jane Doe:

Path Specified	Absolute Path	Explanation
`SAP_IBP`	`C:\Users\Jane Doe\SAP_IBP`	The example uses the default local file location set in Microsoft Excel and adds the path/folder defined.
`\SAP_IBP`	`C:\SAP_IBP`	The example starts with a backslash (\), so the path/folder is added to the current directory of the application.

Using Special Folders

Special folders allow you to use a standard path that is set up in Microsoft Windows. The following folders can be used as special folders: Documents, Downloads, and Desktop.

Relative paths rely on the properties of the current application, so it can be challenging to have consistent settings for saving across systems for all users. By using special folders, you can define the file path dependent on one of the three provided folders.

To use special folders, insert a relative path that starts with one of the three folder names. As a result, even if the corresponding folder is moved, the newly set location is used.

The following table shows examples of how the path can be set up and what the absolute path would look like, assuming the application is installed on the C:\ drive and the location of the special folder Documents is set to C:\Users\Jane Doe\Documents:

Path Specified	Absolute Path	Explanation
`Documents\SAP_IBP`	`C:\Users\Jane Doe\Documents\SAP_IBP`	The example uses the location of the special folder Documents of the user, and adds the path/folder defined.
`\Documents\SAP_IBP`	`C:\Documents\SAP_IBP`	The example starts with a backslash (\), so the path/folder entered is added to the current directory of the application.
`Documents\..\SAP_IBP`	`C:\Users\Jane Doe\SAP_IBP`	The example uses the location of the special folder Documents, moves the file path one folder level up and adds the folder SAP_IBP.
`Documents\..\..\SAP_IBP`	`C:\Users\SAP_IBP`	This example shows that using `..\` twice moves the file location up another level. Therefore, the folder SAP_IBP is added to C:\ Users.

Using Environment Variables

To add flexibility, environment variables can be used. These are stored in Microsoft Windows and can be accessed from applications that are running on the device. An environment variable can contain text, numbers, or time and the table below shows some examples. (Environment variables need to be defined on the user’s device.)

Environment Variable	Content	Explanation
`%username%`	The user name (for example, John Doe)	These examples only store simple texts that can be used, for example, in a path.
`%computername%`	The computer name (for example, Computer of John Doe's)
`%temp%`	`C:\Users\John Does\Temp`	This example stores a complete path.

The following table shows examples of how the path can be set up and what the absolute path would look like:

Path Specified	Absolute Path	Explanation
`%temp%\SAP_IBP`	`C:\Users\John Doe\Appdata\Temp\SAP_IBP`	This example uses the location of the environmental variable `%temp%` and adds SAP_IBP.
`C:\Users\%Username%\SAP_IBP`	`C:\Users\John Doe\SAP_IBP`	This example uses the environmental variable `%Username%` to specify the user name in the path.

To see a full list of all available environment variables on your local computer, enter the following path in Windows Explorer: Control Panel\System and Security\System. If you have administrator rights, you can choose Advanced system settings on the panel to the left. A new window opens where you can check and edit environment variables. All user variables for the user currently logged in, as well as all system variables are displayed.

Things to Consider

To check how the path you specify is interpreted on your computer, hover your cursor over the entry field of the File Path for Workbooks field. The tooltip shows the absolute path as it is interpreted.
If the file path used refers to a folder on a network drive or a shared drive, it can have a negative impact on performance when opening a workbook, compared to using a file path that refers to a local folder.
Business users can overwrite the administrator settings or the default path by setting up a new path in the About group of the SAP IBP ribbon, under Settings User Settings, by clicking the … (Browse for Folder) button next to the File Path for Workbooks field. For more information, see Setting Up Your Own File Path for Workbooks.