Weekly Dynamic: SmartConnect Integrations and XLSM Files

Last week we look at couple of options for using SmartConnect integrations with XLSM file. Specifically, the options were saving the file as an XLSX file and using an ODBC connector instead of an Excel connector. This week, We’ll look at another option, web services.

XLSM file are Excel files that use macros or VBA code. This is most commonly used to reformat or manipulate data to get it into the right format for integrating. SmartConnect doesn’t see XLSM files as Excel file for integration so we have to get creative.

This week’s option is using Web Services. The SmartConnect manual contains specific information about setting up web services. The basic steps are pretty easy:

1. Setup and test web services via the SmartConnect manual instructions.
2. Install the Excel Connector
3. In the XLSM file click the Run SmartConnect Map in the Add Ins menu. This creates a new Excel tab named SmartConnectConfig.
4. Fill in the first three items (at minimum) on that tab. They are: the name of map, the location of web services, and the tab to integrate.

Now when users push the Run SmartConnect Map button in the XLSM file the data is integrated via web services.