From Dynamics AX to Excel.

Morten Weisdal

Exports from Microsoft Dynamics AX to Excel is easy and provides some excellent

opportunities.

Most people adjust the screen they wish to export - add or remove fields before carrying out

exports.

There are alternatives that can make life easier, not require deep knowledge of tables,

field names, and how tables are related.

When the export should be performed, press the button Export to Microsoft Excel and the data is transferred to Excel or use CTRL+T.

Data export and Excel automatically opens.

In Microsoft Excel, you can work with data that has been exported from Microsoft Dynamics AX. Tab "Dynamics AX" provides a number of options to add additional tables. There is also the option to "publish" data back to Microsoft Dynamics AX - if you have access to it.

The options are limited, and requires a little background knowledge about table names and how Microsoft Dynamics AX tables are related.

There is not much new stuff there.

There are alternatives that can make life easier, not require deep knowledge of tables, field names, and how tables are related.

It is right here: Files / tools / options.

At the bottom of the screen you see the Workbook Supported Refresh. Default is set to Never. Change to it When Possible.

When you export to Excel, you are embedding a query into Excel if Workbook Supports Refresh is When Possible. If Workbook Supports Refresh is When Possible, you can't push data back into Dynamics AX 2012. But if you use Excel to perform analysis and not update, I would choose When Possible. The nice thing about this is that you can use the filter and refresh all functionality if When Possible is enabled. If the Workbook supports refresh option was set to Never, you would simply get the data from Microsoft AX into Excel, and you would not have the query embedded in the workbook, so it would not be refreshable. In this description, Workbook Supports Refresh is When Possible. Again Into Microsoft dynamics AX press "Export to Microsoft Excel". Excel opens and appears basically as before. But there is a difference. The difference lies on the tab "Dynamics AX" where the "fields" are now enabled. If you click on the "fields", Excel displayed all the fields from the table, and the fields can be pulled into the spreadsheet.

When Excel opens, and you use the button fields, it will open up a list of fields.

In addition to the fieldlist is also directly related tables included. In excel, you can see these tables in the field list.

You can see which tables that are exported. Right click on the screen in AX and press personalization. Select Query, and selected tables is displayed under Relation. If you need additional tables, you can put them in with add data in fast tab Microsoft AX.

If you need additional tables, you can put them in with add data in fast tab Microsoft AX.

Let's try it out The task is to draw sales order lines out to excel. Find delivery zip code and show on a map how the customers are distributed from zip code. Address is not a field on the sales order lines, but there is a reference to the table LogisticPostalAddress. The relationship between sales order lines and LogisticPostalAddress are located in the field Postal Address on the sales order lines. LogisticPostalAddress is not a table which is directly related to sales order lines on the Open Sales Order Lines screen in AX. Therefore, the table must be added manually in excel. LogisticPostalAddress is a table to use often, and therefore it may be useful to put that connection in as a standard connection for Excel so you do not have to do it manually all the time. The starting point for the task lies in screen /Sales and marketing/Inquiries/Order Status/Open Sales Order Lines. From there I export to excel and get: Fields displayed in /Sales and marketing/Inquiries/Order Status/Open Sales Order Lines. All other fields from order lines can be displayed and used by Dynamics AX / Fields. Just drag the fields you want over in the grid.

Once the data is downloaded, I have access to both sales lines and associated tables. AX also take directly related tables into Excel. In this case:

We need zip code. It is found in the table LogisticPostalAddress. Import table with Dynamics AX / Add data / Add table in Excel.

Excel now shown a list of tables. Find the appropriate table in the Available tables and use the arrow to move the table into the Selected tables. There should be no check mark in the Create Worksheets. Press Ok.

Once the data is downloaded, I have access to both master data and LogisticPostalAddress.

The table LogicticPostalAddress is now part of the tables you can use in the spreadsheet. Excel manages the relationship, and you can now get the Zip code next to your order lines and get something like this:

The ZIP code of the customer now appear next to each line, and the rest could be done by creating a PivotTable and example your information in a graph, on a map or whatever you wish:

A spreadsheet can take time to build, and you probably want to reuse it, but next time with fresh data. In the setup button Dynamics AX, you can setup spreadsheet to reload data. You can also use the spreadsheet as part of your role center and thus have easy access to your information.

The functionality to publish data is not active if Workbook Supports Refresh is When Possible. But only for tables that are exported from AX. If you manually add subsequent tables in your spreadsheet these can be updated directly from Excel with publish. In the above case you can update the table LogicticPostalAddress. If I change / create the table LogicticPostalAddress and using Dynamics AX / Publish update AX with Excel data. All validations are performed in AX and returned to Excel. Morten Weisdal