Connecting a data source to a table and using connected tables

To connect a data source to a table, first there has to be a data source in Tangelo. This data source has to be accessible for the users that need to use it.

Please note: a data source can only contain one excel file. It is recommended to use different data sources for different purposes/teams.

To create a new data source please refer to the chapter 'Managing data sources' at the bottom of this page.

Before we continue: creating NEW connected tables requires the 3 steps described below.

But when you want to update an existing connected table skip step 1 and start with step 2 below.

1) Connecting a table to a data source in Tangelo 

Open the editor for the section involved and first create an empty table - a table with one cell will do:

Next, you need to connect the table to a data source. There are four ways to connect a table to a data source:

1. Click in the table. Via the top menu in the Table tap and choose the button Connect to data source.
   
   
2. Right click anywhere in the table and choose Connect to data source.
   
   
3. Click inside the table and use the breadcrumb menu. Click on Table and then on Connect to data source.
   
   See this image for the 3 options described above:
   
4. Or, when a data source is already connected click on the black icon in front of the table after you have clicked in the table once:
   
   
   

After using one of the above ways to connect to a data source, Tangelo will prompt for the data source.

Select the correct data source (you can also search for data source).
Please note: Adding a year number to a data source helps keep everything tidy.

After selecting the data source Tangelo will display the worksheet names within that data source file (you can also use the search bar to search for specific tabs in the Excel file).

Then Tangelo will ask you to select the cells to be used. You can select the range in Tangelo, or use the dropdown menu to select a named range.
Please note: named ranges are highly recommended because they grow and shrink with the addition or removing of lines and columns in Excel. Absolute ranges always stay the same.

2) Upload data

Upload an Excel file with the source data to be used in the tables using the DATA SOURCES screen.

Now select the correct data source where the data should be uploaded to.

Choose the Excel file and click upload. After Tangelo is done uploading it will prompt you with a green bar.

Please note: by uploading a file you will overwrite the previous file in the data source. This can not be undone.

3) Synchronising tables in Tangelo

To display the data from the data source in Tangelo, the data source needs to synchronized. Then Tangelo will show the data in Tangelo itself. After connecting a table, the data is not displayed. This is correct. The workflow is to add all tables that are needed in Tangelo. Then when all the tables are in Tangelo, the synchronization is done. After the synchronization all the tables will contain the data from the data source.

There is no need to synchronize after adding each table.

To synchronize the data source use the button indicated below. When tables are added and connected to a data source, or when a new file is uploaded to the data source, a orange exclamation mark will appear on the synchronize button.

Click the synchronization button and Tangelo will prompt what data sources to synchronize. You can check or uncheck a data source. Click on the red button indicated below to start the process.

Tangelo now starts to synchronize and it will display what tables have changed and what it’s doing. After this process is done, all tables that are connected are now populated with the data from the data source.

Please note: data in a connected table cannot be edited in Tangelo. Editing is done in the source Excel file, uploading it again and resynchronising it to Tangelo.

Removing or changing a linked table in the document

To change or remove the link to the data source click in the table itself, or on the little black icon next to the table in Tangelo.

To disconnect from the data source, use the Disconnect button, to change the data source (for example change the tab from the Excel document, or select different cells) choose the Choose button.

When a table is disconnected, the data that was in the table will editable since the table now is a regular table again.

Managing data sources

Accounts with the administrator profile can manage data sources using this option: