EViewsExcel AddIn

WHITEPAPERASOF2/1/2010
ThenewEViewsExcel AddInprovidesaneasywaytoimport andlinkEViewsdatawithanExcel
spreadsheet. It doesthisthroughtheuseof our newEViewsOLEDBdriver that providesread-only
accesstoEViewsdatastoredinworkfilesanddatabasefiles.
Note: Onlyseriesandvector/matrix/scalar/stringobjectscanberetrievedusingthisAddIn.
Installation
TheEViewsExcel AddInisaseparateinstallationoptionduringtheEViewssetupprocedure. TheAddIn
requiresEViewstobeinstalledwithavalidserial number. BeforeusingthisAddInwithExcel, please
verifythat youcanrunEViewsitself successfullyonthesamemachine. If youalreadyhaveEViews
installed, re-runtheEViewssetupandjust select the"EViewsExcel AddIn" optiontoinstall.
TheAddIncanalsobemanuallyinstalledbycopyingthe"EViewsAddIn.xla" filetoyour Microsoft
OfficeAddInsfolder. Pleaserefer toMicrosoft Officehelptofindthelocationof your local AddIns
folder.
Activation
Onceinstalled, you'll needtoactivatetheAddInfromwithinMicrosoft Excel. Here'sanexampleof
activationusingMicrosoft Excel 2007(for instructionsonhowtoactivatethisonolder versionsof Excel,
seeAppendixA):
After startingMicrosoft Excel 2007, clickthe"Officebutton" (locatedintheupper left of thewindow)
andselect the"Excel Options" button. Thiswill bringuptheExcel Optionspopup.
Select "AddIns" intheleft list, andthenintheManagedropdown, select "Excel Add-ins"andthenclick
the"Go"button. ThisshouldtakeyoutotheAdd-Inspopup. Inthiswindow, youshouldsee"EViews
AddIn"asanavailableAddIn. Checkthecheckboxnext toit andclickOK.
Onceactivated, youshouldseethe"Add-Ins" ribbonat theendof theribbontabs:
Onthat ribbon, youwill findtheEViewsAddInmenu.
RetrievingEViews Data
Tobeginthedataimport process, clickontheEViewsmenuandselect "Get Data". Thiswill openupa
filebrowser popupwhichallowsyoutoselect anEViewsworkfileor databasefile. Onceselected, click
OpentogotheGet EViewsDatapopup:
Thispopupdisplaysall availableobjectsintheselectedworkfile. If adatabasefilewasselected, clickon
"All" or "Filter" tolist theavailableobjectsinthedatabase.
RetrievingDatafroman EViews Workfile(WF1)
If thesourceisaworkfile, thePagedropdownwill displayall availablepages. All availableSeries/Alpha
objectsonthefirst pagearelistedautomatically. (Tofilter whichobjectsarelistedinthistablesee
"FilteringObjects" below.)
Thefirst rowinthetableshowsthecolumnheaders. Eachrowafter that representsareadableobject.
Note: onlyseries(includingalpha), vectors, andmatrices(includingsymmetricmatrices) canbe
retrieved.
Tolist anyavailablevectors/matrices, select "Vector/Matrix" fromtheTypesdropdown. Vectorsand
matrixobjectscannot bereadinmorethanoneat atime. Seriesobjectsmaybegroupedtogether into
asinglereadoperation.
Selectingarowandthenclicking"Add" (or simplydouble-clickingtherow) will movetheobject name
intothe"ObjectstoImport" textbox. Thistextboxmust beaspacedelimitedlistingof theselected
objectstoretrievesuchas: "xyz".
Onceselected, youcanclickon"Import" or "Import &Link" toimport thedataintothecurrent
spreadsheet. TheAddInwill askyoutospecifyaninsertionpoint onaspreadsheet. Youcaneither type
inacell valueor clickonacell usingyour mouse:
ClickOKtoperformtheimport. For thedifferencesbetweenImport andImport &Link, see"Import vs.
Import &Link" below.
RetrievingDatafroman EViews DatabaseFile(EDB)
If thesourceisanEViewsdatabasefile, thepopupwill lookslightlydifferent:
Bydefault, whenopeninganEViewsdatabasefile, itsobject list isnot displayed(duetopossible
performanceissueswithdatabasefilesthat containthousandsof objects). Clickthe"All" buttonto
displayall objects. Or tofilter toaspecificlist, clickon"Filter" (see"FilteringObjects" below).
TheFreqdropdownwill displayall standardfrequencies, plusanyother uniqueonesfoundinthesource
file. Whenretrievingmultipleseriesobjectsinasinglereadoperation, eachseriesobject must havethe
samefrequencysoyoucanusethisdropdowntoonlyshowthoseobjectsthat matchaspecific
frequency.
FilteringObjects
Somesourcefilesmayincludetoomanyobjectstodisplayall at onceinthetable. Tofilter which
objectsarelisted, youcanalter thelistingbyclickingon"Filter" togototheFilter popup:
Hereyoucanspecifyanamepatternor descriptionpatternsothat onlythoseobjectswhosenames
matchthepatternaredisplayed
Import vs. Import &Link
Import performsaone-timeimport of thedataintothespreadsheet. Whenyousavethespreadsheet
andre-openit at alater date, theEViewsdatawill not beautomaticallyberefreshedfromthesource
file. Thisisuseful if youwant tokeepa"snapshot" of thedataat acertainpoint intime.
Tokeepdatainsync, useImport &Link. Thiswill instruct Excel torefreshthespreadsheet copyof the
dataeverytimethespreadsheet isopened.
IncludeIDSeries
Usedonlywhenretrievingseries/alphaobjects, thisoptionwill automaticallyincludetheidseriesfor
theselectedseriesobjects(@DATE). Youcanalsomanuallyspecifythiscolumninadifferent locationby
typingin@DATE(or @ENDDATEfor theendvalueof thedateperiod) anywhereinthe"Objectsto
Retrieve" textbox(e.g. "xyz@date@enddate").
SampletoFilter Observations
Usedonlywhenretrievingseries/alphaobjects, thisoptionallowsyoutospecifyadaterangeto
retrieve. For example, "19952000" will retrieveonlythoseobservationsthat fall withtheyears1995
and2000. Thedefault valueis@all whichreturnsall availableobservations.
ManagingEViewsConnections
For convenience, wehavealsoprovidedawaytolist all thecurrent EViewsconnectionsinthecurrent
Excel worksheet. Toseethislist, clickontheEViewsmenuandselect "Manage".
Thispopupdisplaysall EViewsconnectionsinthecurrent worksheet. Eachrowinthelistboxisa
separateconnectionthat displaystheLinkstatus(YmeansLinked), theRangeusedintheworksheet,
andtheSourceFile. Selectingtherowwill result inExcel highlightingtheregionintheworksheet that is
usedbythat connection.
Fromhere, youcanLinkor Unlinktheconnection(aLinkedconnectionmeansthedataisautomatically
refreshedfromthesourceeachtimethisworkbookisopenedbyExcel), addanewconnection(via
Add), removeaconnection(andoptionallyclear thedata), and/or Refreshthedata.
RefreshAll
Tomanuallyrefreshall EViewsconnectionsinthecurrent worksheet, whether linkedor not, clickonthe
EViewsmenuandselect "RefreshAll". Thiswill attempt tore-retrieveall EViewsdata.
AppendixA
Activationon Excel 2000
ToactivatetheEViewsAdd-InonExcel 2000, gototheToolsmenuandselect "Add-Ins":
Checkthecheckboxnext to"EViewsAddIn" andclickOK. Onceactivated, youshouldseetheEViews
Toolbar appear inthetoolbar area(circledinred):
ActivationonExcel 2003
ToactivatetheEViewsAdd-InonExcel 2003, gototheToolsmenuandselect "Add-Ins":
Checkthecheckboxnext to"EViewsAddIn" andclickOK. Onceactivated, youshouldseetheEViews
Toolbar appear inthetoolbar area(circledinred):