¶ Description
Update formula-based cells inside Excel sheets.
¶ Parameters
¶ Parameters tab
Parameter:
- Developer mode: activate/deactivate code tab.
- Excel(.xlsx) file to update
¶ Description tab
See dedicated page for more information.
¶ Code tab
excelUpdate is a scripted action. Embedded code is accessible and customizable through this tab.
¶ Configuration tab
See dedicated page for more information.
¶ About
The excelUpdate action is designed to programmatically trigger Microsoft Excel to recalculate and update all formula-based cells within a specified .xlsx file. This is particularly useful in ETL workflows when changes in input data or linked values require Excel formulas (such as =SUM(...), =A1+B1, etc.) to recompute and save the latest results.
This action uses the MS Excel engine to open the target file, initiate recalculation of formulas, and save the updated result. It ensures the integrity of Excel-generated outputs in automated data pipelines without manual intervention.
This action does not modify non-formula cells or change file structure. It purely refreshes formula-based cell values.
¶ Example
¶ Input Setup
The Excel file must contain at least one cell with a formula (e.g., =SUM(A1:A5)).
¶ Output
This action does not produce rows on output ports. Instead, the side effect is the updated file being saved to disk with recalculated formulas.
You can verify the update by reopening the Excel file and inspecting the result of the formulas.
¶ Use Case Scenarios
- Refreshing report templates after loading new data.
- Ensuring dynamic dashboards reflect the latest figures.
- Automating spreadsheet calculations in a scheduled ETL job.
Notes
- Excel must be installed on the machine where this action is executed.
- Only .xlsx files are supported.
- If Excel is not installed or the file is invalid, the action will fail silently or return an error in the log.
- If no formula cells exist in the file, the action has no effect.
