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Embedding live web data in Excel?
nick205 - 24/10/16 at 03:12 PM

Afternoon all,

I'm currently working on some pricing spreadsheets (Excel 2010). Whilst we sell in Sterling we often buy in Dollars (or other currencies).

So far I'm taking exchange rates from Google and creating an exchange rate sheet in my spread sheet. This works, but I'd like to be able to embed live exchange rates within cells in my spreadsheets to make it more fluid and use-able by others.

To me it seems a fairly obvious thing to want to do, but I'm struggling to work out how.

Has anyone done it and can steer me through the process?

Thanks,
Nick


mark chandler - 24/10/16 at 08:06 PM

You can import data from a web site then set excel to refresh data when opening the spread sheet or depending on permissions open on a predetermined time period.

I have not got excel open so from memory, top tabs pick data then left hand side from web site, import data and you put in the URL, the data does need consistent structure.

[Edited on 24/10/16 by mark chandler]


Slimy38 - 25/10/16 at 07:50 AM

On the data tab, go to 'from web'. Enter a URL for an appropriate web page (I used http://www.x-rates.com/ as a test). Select a table you want to import, put it somewhere temporary then use the relevant cells as references in your spreadsheet.

When you want updated data, you can either press Alt+F5 to refresh, or click on the refresh, or add a little macro to refresh at any appropriate point. I wouldn't refresh too often as you can make your spreadsheet really slow. For exchange rates I'd suggest refreshing on open would be sufficient.

(Essentially what Mark suggests, but I have Excel to hand so I could try it first!)


nick205 - 25/10/16 at 08:42 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
On the data tab, go to 'from web'. Enter a URL for an appropriate web page (I used http://www.x-rates.com/ as a test). Select a table you want to import, put it somewhere temporary then use the relevant cells as references in your spreadsheet.

When you want updated data, you can either press Alt+F5 to refresh, or click on the refresh, or add a little macro to refresh at any appropriate point. I wouldn't refresh too often as you can make your spreadsheet really slow. For exchange rates I'd suggest refreshing on open would be sufficient.

(Essentially what Mark suggests, but I have Excel to hand so I could try it first!)



Done and it seems to work as I want it to

Thanks!