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Exchanging Decision Table Data With Microsoft ExcelLocate this document in the navigation structure

Use

You can exchange the condition and result data of a decision table with Microsoft Excel. You can take advantage of this function in the following situations:

  • You can share your table data with people who may not have access to BRFplus but might give input from a business perspective.

  • The use case that you want to address with the decision table has already been dealt with in your department, so a lot of well-defined rules for the decision table may already exist and only need to be adapted to BRFplus.

  • You can export the decision table data to a spreadsheet so that you can continue working on the conditions while you are offline or while the system is not available.

  • You can use the export function for creating an additional backup of the table data that can easily be retrieved.

Recommendation

During the import of data from an Excel spreadsheet, BRFplus tries to match the data to be imported with the columns of the decision table. To clearly understand what the spreadsheet data must look like for a successful import into a particular decision table, we recommend that you start by exporting some data from the decision table to the spreadsheet file. The spreadsheet file then contains the columns and data formats that are required for an error-free import.

When you choose to export decision table data to an Excel file, the exported file contains two worksheets:

  • Data : In this worksheet, you find all the condition and result data that you have maintained for the decision table in BRFplus.

  • Help : In this worksheet, you find detailed information on the correct data format for values and operators as expected by the BRFplus import function. This information worksheet is part of every Excel file that you create with the BRFplus export function.

Handling of unsupported data types

Data exchange between BRFplus decision tables and Excel files is only supported for discrete values and range expressions. If a cell contains any other type of data (for example, a boolean expression), the system handles this situation according to the following rules, depending on the transfer direction and the setting of the Override Expressions With Fixed Values indicator (only relevant for import):

Override Expressions

Export

Import

false (default)

Expression text is written into XLS cell for reference reasons.

Cell data other than single values or ranges are skipped during import; corresponding cell in decision table remains unchanged.

true

 

Cell data other than single values or ranges raises an error message, and import is stopped.

If the receiving cell in the decision table contains an expression, but the XLS cell contains a single value or range, the expression is overwritten by the imported value.

Prerequisites

Exchanging data with Microsoft Excel is done with the help of the XML-based file format (file extension .XSLX ) introduced with Microsoft Excel 2007. If you are using an older version of Microsoft Office, you can download the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack to upgrade the supported file formats from the Microsoft Download Center ( http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466Information published on non-SAP site). Once you have downloaded the Compatibility Pack, you have to install it on every workstation that has an older version of Microsoft Office installed.

Note

Installing the Compatibility Pack on your workstation requires administrator authorizations.

Activities

Exporting Decision Table Data to Microsoft Excel

  1. In the BRFplus Workbench, open the decision table whose data you want to export in the Object Manager panel.

  2. In the Table Data section, choose Export to Excel .

    The system prompts you to either open or save the Excel file. Depending on your choice, the system performs the following actions:

    • Open : The exported data is written to an Excel file in a folder for temporary files on your local machine, and the file is loaded for reviewing in Microsoft Excel.

    • Save : The system displays a Save As ... dialog where you can enter the desired file name and storage location. By default, the system suggests <name of the decision table>.xslx .

Importing Decision Table Data from Microsoft Excel

  1. In the BRFplus Workbench, open the decision table into which you want to import data from an Excel file in the Object Manager panel.

  2. In the Table Data section, choose Import from Excel .

  3. In the Excel File Import dialog, enter the name of the Excel file you want to import.

  4. Decide how the system shall proceed in case the Excel file contains data that does not fulfill the requirements for proper import.

    For details, see section "Handling of unsupported data types" above.

  5. Once the data has been imported, save the decision table.