Writeback Formatting, Cell Locking and Data Validation
Once writeback has been enabled for a grid, it is possible to use the Formatting_Grids#Format_sheet as well as additional Custom Format Areas to format and lock the grid cells.
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[hide]Enabling writeback for a grid
Data entry mode in an XLCubed grid is turned on by ticking the ‘Enable Writeback’ box in the Grid Properties window.
If you’re using FluenceXL, you also need to enable data entry mode at the workbook level from the FluenceXL\Options\Workbook Options menu item.
Please refer to the writeback page for further details.
Basic data entry formatting
Highlighting cells
You can highlight writeable data cells by:
- Ticking ‘Highlight Data’ box in the Grid Properties window
- Defining a format for the ‘Writeable Member’ data cell in the XLCubedFormats sheet
You can also provide visual feedback for the user during the data entry process by highlighting the cells that were changed and the ones that were impacted:
- Select ‘Show Updates’ under refresh type after writeback
- Define a format for the cells changed by the user (‘Written Cell’) and the impacted ones (‘Summary written cell’)
Using offline data entry mode
Using the offline data entry mode is recommended for performance reasons. When this mode is activated, the journal of pending changes can be viewed by clicking the ‘Manage…’ button.
All changes can then be saved or discarded at once by using the buttons in the ‘Editing’ ribbon.
Note that you still need to be connected to the underlying cube / model to use the offline data entry mode.
Formatting and locking cells
When a grid is enabled for writeback, any cell can be changed and data entry permissions only rely on the security defined in the source cube/model. You can change this default behaviour and control which cells should be allowed for data entry at the grid level by ticking the ‘Cells must be unlocked’ box in the Grid Properties window. As cells grid cells are by default locked in the format sheet, any writeback should now be prevented in the grid.