Link Visio Diagrams to External Data

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About this lesson

In this module, you will learn how to import data from external data sources and then link that data to shape, making your diagram more informative. We will concentrate on pulling the data in from Microsoft Excel specifically.

Quick reference

Instructions

To add data from an Excel spreadsheet:

  • Click on the Data Menu, and then click on Quick Import. Then, you will pick the location of your Excel spreadsheet. You will then see the Excel spreadsheet on the right side of the screen. You can drag a record from the right onto one of the shapes.

To see the data of a shape:

  • Right click on the shape, then click on Data, then click on Shape Data.
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  • 00:03 Let's see how we can actually pull in data from Excel or
  • 00:08 from a different data source, and then update the Visio diagram.
  • 00:13 So this particular diagram was made with a stencil that's called Department 3D and
  • 00:19 you can find that under more shapes, and then you will click on Flowchart.
  • 00:24 And then notice how this stencil is called Department 3D.
  • 00:27 So that's where these kind of shapes come from.
  • 00:30 Now, on a previous lesson, we talked about how you can show the data for a shape.
  • 00:36 So I'm going to right click on this shape, and then I'll pick on data.
  • 00:39 And then I'll say shape data.
  • 00:42 And then I added a field that's calledEemployee ID.
  • 00:47 And then each one of these has a different Employee ID, all right?
  • 00:52 So on this particular diagram, I've already gone in and added the data.
  • 00:57 That's called Employee ID for each of these different shapes.
  • 01:00 Now, let's go ahead and try to pull an Excel spreadsheet.
  • 01:03 So this particular diagram should come with this exercise.
  • 01:08 And this Excel spreadsheet should come with this exercise as well.
  • 01:11 So I'm going to click on the Data menu, and
  • 01:14 I'm going to click on Quick Import over here, okay?
  • 01:18 I'm going to go ahead and click on Browse.
  • 01:21 And then I'm going to point to an Excel file.
  • 01:25 So yours should be in the folder that you downloaded
  • 01:28 from the exercise..I'm going to use one that's called the Employee Info.
  • 01:33 So I'll click on Open.
  • 01:36 And we'll click on Done back.
  • 01:40 So it's going to import that data.
  • 01:44 Now, based on that employee ID is going to give those shapes
  • 01:48 some additional information.
  • 01:50 So I'll click on the word Done there.
  • 01:53 Now, here's the actual data that we just imported.
  • 01:55 Now, the ones that have the link means it found that employee ID here on
  • 02:00 the Excel file and it matched up with the employee ID that's on that shape.
  • 02:05 So now if I right click on that shape, and
  • 02:09 then I'll pick on data and then shape data.
  • 02:12 Now, it has the employee ID, the name, the position, the supervisor, and
  • 02:17 the department, which all came from the Excel spreadsheet.
  • 02:22 So when it found that common field employee ID that linked
  • 02:26 the two together, and now each shape has more information.
  • 02:31 Now, on the other hand, let's come down here.
  • 02:35 There's a couple that didn't get any,
  • 02:36 because maybe they didn't have an employee ID in the first place.
  • 02:39 So watch where I'm going to go.
  • 02:42 I'm going to pick up, those are going to be in packaging.
  • 02:44 So I'm going to pick up Gail, who's in packaging, right?
  • 02:49 I'm going to pick up the record from the Excel spreadsheet and
  • 02:53 drag it over here into that shape.
  • 02:55 And now that shape has that information.
  • 02:58 So I'm going to right click on that shape I pick on data and then shape data.
  • 03:01 And notice how that says Gail Anderson.
  • 03:04 Now, let's click on this one.
  • 03:06 This one doesn't have any shape data yet.
  • 03:09 So let's find another packaging person, Fred.
  • 03:11 So I'll pick up Fred and drag that into that shape.
  • 03:12 And then now that shape has all of that data.
  • 03:20 So when you pull in the Excel spreadsheet, if it finds a common field, for
  • 03:25 example the employee ID, then it will link those records and
  • 03:28 when that common filled automatically.
  • 03:31 But if not, you can pick up the record and
  • 03:33 then drag it into the shape to assign that data with the shape.
  • 03:35 So we started with the Data menu.
  • 03:40 We did a quick import and you see how that's just going to use Excel.
  • 03:44 If you do a custom import on the other hand, then you have other types of data.
  • 03:51 You can use an Access database, SharePoint, SQL Server.
  • 03:55 Well, this is kind of the catch all, then you can use just about
  • 03:58 any kind of database if you have those kind of connections, all right?
  • 04:02 So it's really a great way to tie your data from
  • 04:07 an external data source into your Visio diagram.

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