Microsoft Visio 2010 : Linking External Data to Shapes (part 5) - Using Link Data - Preparing a Master for Link Data , Importing Data for Link Data

3/20/2014 3:07:37 AM

4. Using Link Data

If you have Visio 2010 Pro or Premium, you also have access to the Link Data feature. Using it is not only much easier than using the Database Wizard, but it gives you more data choices. In addition to OLEDB and ODBC data sources, Link Data can hook up to data stored in Excel, Access, SharePoint lists, and SQL Server.

Link Data works in only one direction: External data is brought into shapes, but shapes can’t change external data. You can, however, link data from multiple sources to a single shape.

If you’re not sure which edition of Visio you have, take a quick look at the Ribbon. If you see the Data tab, then you have Visio Pro or Premium, and Link Data is available. You can also go to the Backstage area and click Help. In the upper-right corner, your edition is listed under Product Activated.

Preparing a Master for Link Data

1.	Continue with Ch7 Shape Data.vsd.
2.	Create a new, blank page and name it Link Data.
3.	Copy a shape from the Light Bulbs page. Note: This shape shouldn’t be an instance of any master; it still has the default internal row naming for its Shape Data fields (that is, Prop.Row_1, Prop.Row_2, and so on) and it doesn’t have an ID field.
4.	Clear or set generic values for the bulb’s Shape Data fields.
5.	Create a new master in the Document Stencil. a. Make sure that the Document Stencil is visible by checking More Shapes, Show Document Stencil. b. Drag the light bulb shape into the Document Stencil. c. Click on your new master and change the name from Master.X to Light Bulb LD.

You use this master with the Link Data features in the following steps. Unlike Light Bulb DBW, this master is not linked in any special way to external data.

Now you can import the Excel data. Instead of an elaborate (long!) set of steps to establish the connection, Link Data shows the data inside Visio in the External Data window and enables you to link to shapes using drag and drop.

Importing Data for Link Data (Pro and Premium Only)

1.	Click the Data tab on the Ribbon.
2.	Click Link Data to Shapes in the External Data group. The Data Selector window appears. You can see the Data Ribbon in Figure 7. Figure 7. The Data tab and External Data window are two key elements in Link Data. Here, you see a data record being dragged onto a shape. A data link is being created and is denoted by the special highlighting around the shape and the chain-link icon on the mouse cursor.
3.	Select Microsoft Excel Workbook and then click Next.
4.	Browse to the location of Light Bulb Data.xlsx and then select it. Click Next.
5.	For the worksheet or range, select ModelTypePower from the drop-down list. Notice that the Data Selector also sees Sheet1$ as a data range. If you use Link Data, you don’t need to define a named range as for the Database Wizard, but it is nice to see a meaningful name nevertheless.
6.	Make sure that First Row of Data Contains Column Headings is checked and then click Next.
7.	In the Connect to Data screen, you can select columns and specific rows from the data source to import. For now, leave the default (All Columns) and (All Rows) settings as they are and then click Next.
8.	In the Configure Refresh Unique Identifier screen, an ID field is recommended as the key into your data. Make sure that this is checked, click Next, and then click Finish.

The External Data window appears beneath the drawing window, filled with familiar data from the Light Bulb Data Excel file. Now you’re ready to link the data to shapes.