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.

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: 1. Ticking ‘Highlight Data’ box in the Grid Properties window:

2. Defining a format for the ‘Writeable Member’ data cell in the XLCubedFormats sheet:

Here the result:

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:

1. Select ‘Show Updates’ under refresh type after writeback

2. Define a format for the cells changed by the use (‘Written Cell’) and the impacted ones (‘Summary written cell’)

Here the result:

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 writebacka is enabled for a grid, 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.

Formatting and locking cells with the format sheet

The locking of specific slices of data follows the same rules as the standard XLCubed formatting defined in the ‘XLCubedFormats’ sheet. Please read the Format_Sheet page for more details.

The following examples illustrate different cell locking scenarios.

Unlocking all lowest level accounts (LEVEL:LEAF)

Locking all the years (the second level: LEVEL:2)

Note that you should define a white background for these cells to overwrite the yellow one defined for the leaf accounts.

Unlocking a specific column / month

Locking a specific cell