SIMs Reporting

[pale_kid]

hi all,

i wish to export marksheets from sims.net into an existing spreadsheet. currently staff copy and paste names and grades from sims into a spreadsheet, which then calculates percentages and shows charts.

i would prefer sims to export to this spreadsheet and give information without the copy+paste bit. i can export reports into a blank spreadsheet but that's as far as i've got.

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
thanks.

[matt40k]

You can edit the excel template. Or is that just word?

[pale_kid]

whenever i amend the template, nothing is added. if i select standard portrait/landscape it adds the results.

any ideas???

[pacapps]

Have you tried linking an external data source (the sims export spreadsheet) to the spread sheet with the formuli in?

Excel - Data - Import external Data - Import Data.

If you set up the link correctly then any changes made in the external file will update in the file you wish to use to manipulate the data.

See attached image.

Top data is import from original file

Bottom data is original file with changes with update enabled.

If that makes sense.

HTH

Paul

[pale_kid]

thanks for your suggestion, i'll try it out today!


<<edit>>
i tried it and it seems a lot less simple than asking staff to just copy and paste the results in! it's a shame there's no obvious way of just outputting to an existing spreadsheet with the formulae in (without the intermediate step).

[vikpaw]

Wouldn't it be better to perform the calculations in SIMS. The formula functionality is improving and means the data is live. This way staff can review their own information and generate a chart if they wish.

There are ways to set up a report which then uses an excel template (basically you modify the built in one to have extra macros and automated calculations), however creating a report to export that data is a pain. There is a thread regarding this on Capita's SupportNet

I try to move to the point where unless absolutely necessary data is not exported. It's only printed out like that if it needs to be presented or used in a meeting. Otherwise it stays in SIMS so that if a teacher goes in and amends data e.g. notices a grade was incorrectly input then the analysis is also immediately up to date.

I have used the method you suggest of copy pasting. With one sheet set up full of complex formulas linked to another sheet where i just paste the output of a report from SIMS. I use it to manipulate the staff data ready for importing to our PHP based intranet.