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uelm
uelm
May 25, 2022
Question

Automate 'Export to Excel' of a Record with specific filters to then automatically email out

  • May 25, 2022
  • 4 replies
  • 0 views

Hi all,

I hope you're well [emoticon:c4563cd7d5574777a71c318021cbbcc8]

I've got a Record pulling information from a SQL database. The Record displays all the relevant information in Tempo along with various filters to choose from (ie: date range, status type, user role). It also displays the 'Export to Excel' button.

I'd like to once per week have the Excel document with filters of my choice (eg: status type: Complete + user role: Front Desk) for the last 10000 entries automatically be created, attached to an email automatically, and emailed out automatically.

How do I achieve this? I've tried the 'Export DSE to Excel' node in a process model and then a 'Send Email' node. But I'm not sure how to have the 'Export DSE to Excel' node generate a document that has my filter requirements and the nice readable layouts the Record has. At the moment the 'Export DSE to Excel' node is just generating a document with all the entries from the db table I specified and it ain't pretty.

Can the 'Export DSE to Excel' node achieve this with more configuration or is there a better way to do all this? 

Many thanks,
Uel

4 replies

peter.lewis
peter.lewis
Employee
May 25, 2022

The "Export DSE to Excel" node does allow you to specify filters - you can add a list of query filters that you want to apply in the configuration like this:

 

However, unfortunately this smart service doesn't allow you to provide formatting beyond choosing the fields to display. One approach could be to configure the text to display as you want through a database view and use that for the source of your export.

uelm
uelmAuthor
May 26, 2022

Hi Peter,

I really appreciate all the information. I'll try the query filters route first and then I'll try the database view approach.

Ok this is a long shot but what about having the Record in an interface (grid component) as that already has everything looking good, and then somehow passing that interface into a Process Model as a document (which can then be automatically emailed out)?

By the way, was it you that presented a number of the older video tutorials on Appian Academy (I think all the older tutorials have been replaced)?

peter.lewis
peter.lewis
Employee
May 26, 2022

It's definitely possible to set up a record grid that displays the data you want, but there isn't really a way to export from that grid without the user interacting with it and sending it via email.

Maybe you could just send them a link to the grid in an email instead? Or just have them go to the report on demand and export it whenever they need it?

And yes, I presented several of the older videos, but they've mostly rolled off now :) glad you've seen our videos and I hope they were helpful!

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