An overview of how SmartTemplate Pro interacts with EnterWorks and Excel.
The SmartTemplate Pro add-on allows you to use Excel to update and validate your data stored in EnterWorks.
SmartTemplate Pro uses the EnterWorks API to pull information from EnterWorks. For a selected data source, SmartTemplate Pro retrieves:
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The structure of the source data.
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The names of the Saved Sets and Saved Searches that can be used to pull records from EnterWorks.
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Link relationships between the repositories included in the template.
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The current attribute values from the root repository's records and any linked records.
SmartTemplate Pro also uses the API to post information to EnterWorks:
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Record attribute values.
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New records.
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Linked relationships.
You can use SmartTemplate Pro without signing into EnterWorks, however, sign-in is required before you can query the EnterWorks database or upload data to EnterWork.
To use SmartTemplate Pro to access your data in EnterWorks, first you need to create a SmartTemplate Pro template. A SmartTemplate Pro template is an Excel workbook whose columns have been formatted to match the data structure defined by the source. The template may also specify a set of records that will be downloaded to Excel.
When you create the template, SmartTemplate Pro requests EnterWorks to send it the structure of the selected source data, (the repositories, attributes and link relationships). If the template definition includes a Saved Set or a Saved Search (or both), SmartTemplate Pro will also ask for the attribute values for any records that meet the inclusion criteria specified in the Saved Set or Saved Search.
SmartTemplate Pro uses the source data structure to build the columns of the Excel sheet. The root repository's attributes are listed first, then attributes from any linked repositories are shown. The attributes are grouped by color to make it easy to tell which attributes belong to which repository. Each repository also has a log column that is used to tell you if updates you make to EnterWorks are completed successfully.
If EnterWorks returns attribute values, SmartTemplate Pro stores them in the sheet's rows - one row for each record. Descendant records are stored in the rows following their parent record.
After the sheet is loaded, you can add, modify, or edit attribute values. You can also create new records, including parent and child records. You can have SmartTemplate "refresh" your data -- it can request the latest EnterWorks attribute values and record validation status at any time. When you have finished editing your sheet, you can send your attribute values back to EnterWorks (post them). EnterWorks will use your values to update its repositories and, if you request it, validate the updated values.