Excel Add-in Support

Taskpane: Read Connection Attribute

Summary

The ‘Read Connection Attribute’ taskpane helps the user configuring the ‘=APCONNATTR(…) function’ in a very user-friendly way. This function reads the requested attribute of a given connection and displays it in any desired Excel cell. Before a connection can be used in Excel, the connection must first be configured in Automation Portal Historian.

The user can open the ‘Read Connection Attribute’ taskpane by clicking the ‘Read Connection Attribute’ button in the Automation Portal Excel Add-in ribbon.

Arguments

Connection – Specifies the connection name of the desired connection. The connection name must be exactly the same as configured in the Automation Portal ‘Historian’. The user can also search the connection via the ‘Search Connection’ panel. To make use of the ‘Search Connection’ panel, click the magnifying glass next to the connection field.

Attribute – Specifies the attribute of the connection. Following options are possible:

  • Name – Returns the name of the given connection.
  • Description – Returns the description field of the given connection.
  • Enabled – Returns whether the given connection is enabled or not.
  • Identifier – Returns the identifier field of the given connection.
  • Location – Returns the location field of the given connection.
  • Connection Type – Returns the connection type of the given connection.
  • Address – Returns the address parameters of the given connection.
  • Timeout – Returns the timeout parameter of the given connection.
  • Status – Returns the status of the given connection.

Header – When this checkbox is checked, a header with column titles is added to the top of the connection attribute cell.

Timestamp – When this checkbox is checked, the timestamp of the shown value is added to the left of the connection attribute value.

Procedure

1. First open the taskpane by clicking the ‘Read Connection Attribute‘ in the ribbon.

2. Secondly, click the magnifying glass, the ‘Search Connection‘ panel appears.

3. Next, select the desired connection from the list and click ‘OK‘, the connection name will appear in the tag textbox.

4. Select the desired attribute.

5. Thereafter, check the desired ‘Header’ and ‘Timestamp’ options.

6. Then, select the desired cell where the attribute value should be displayed in the spreadsheet.

7. Finally, click ‘OK’, the attribute value will appear in the cell.

Example