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michaelfra
06-28-2007, 08:20 AM
Hi,

I am looking for some pointers on how to do the following. I am not asking anybody for step-by-step instructions but some guidance on where to possibly find answers would be much appreciated.

I am looking to use Excel to do the following:

1) draw a live table data feed from my website
2) post data back to the site

I need to manage login (username, password) from the Excel sheet and possibly even use HTTPS.

Essentially I want to be able to view data and post date as with a web browser but using an Excel front-end.

any ideas?

Michael

stanl
06-28-2007, 12:59 PM
1) draw a live table data feed from my website
2) post data back to the site



If you are able to elaborate a little more these... SOAP is a possibility; you could look into Excel communicating with ASP; I've used HTTP with Excel to populate web forms, or return tabular data. Just need a little more from you. Stan

michaelfra
06-29-2007, 02:26 AM
Hi Stan,

I didn't know it was possible to call SOAP from Excel. A webservice with a SOAP client in Excel may well do the trick.

The application is as follows:

I have written a trading website which results in current bids and offers. I would like users to be able to see these bids and offers directly in Excel and then be able to post their own bids and offers directly from Excel.

I would like the users to download the "App" or spreadsheet directly from the site so I can't really control the user environment (ie I can't force the user to install .NET Framework). I have looked at SOAP Toolkit and that appears to be a smaller solution but does not appear to be supported.

The site was written in PHP, so special ASP capabilities re Excel aren't really an option.

Any pointers from your side will be much appreciated!

Michael

stanl
06-29-2007, 03:06 AM
I didn't know it was possible to call SOAP from Excel. A webservice with a SOAP client in Excel may well do the trick.


Would depend on how the server was configured. I would ask whether the PHP site has a backend database, i.e. MySQL that stores the quotes and bids presents them in a table. If so, users might employ a workbook with one worksheet designed as an updateable web-query [there are plenty of demos for on-line stock quotes around] so the users can see the current data; then a second sheet to serve as a form to fill out bids and submit them via HTTP; then you might consider addtional sheets to store bid history as a database, or maybe stream them off into an Access DB. Is you site live now, so at least the web-query aspect can be tested?

michaelfra
06-29-2007, 06:21 AM
Hi Stan,

I'll give the webquery a try, as you said, there are plenty of tutorials/examples floating around.

Do you know of a tutorial/example of submitting forms via HTTP?

Michael

stanl
06-29-2007, 07:57 AM
Do you know of a tutorial/example of submitting forms via HTTP?


Check this forum back a couple of days for a post I made concerning Google Translate, it illustrates 2 HTTP agents. Generally you can get specifications for a POST by performing one and looking back on the url

For example: navigate to http://www.smartpages.com/

for Find enter electricities

then Raleigh, NC for the city to search, then click find

when the results are in look again at your browser address line - postings start after the ? and variables are separated by &

This is the basis for web-scraping, or automated form entry - the URL portion is a constant the post data variable. I once wrote a script of about 39 lines that read from an Access table and returned specific MapQuest locations for every bank in North Carolina. Stan

michaelfra
06-30-2007, 11:30 AM
thanks Stan,

appreciate your help, it has certainly pointed me in a useful direction!

Michael