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The data structure of MS Excel is quite simple:
Djeeni starts accessing this data structure at the worksheets. Every Djeeni process begins by identifying the worksheets that are used in the process. Worksheets are identified physically the very same way as in MS Excel: workbook location + workbook filename + worksheet name. The physical identifier of a worksheet is sometimes very long, cryptic and can change (e.g. \\serverW4Q33\corporate\finance\2020\projects\budget\exports\export15427.xlsm). Djeeni lets you assign a friendly logical name (Djeeni name) to the worksheet making your process more readable and understandable.
To identify a worksheet for the Djeeni process the process step WSheet Use (to be found on the Process Toolbar under the Worksheet category) should be used. Once it is added to the process you can specify its parameters. Tips to fill out the parameters
Once a worksheet is identified by WSheet Use it will be identified by its Djeeni name further in the Djeeni process.
Example: the report worksheet exported from an ERP system gets its Djeeni name as ERPReport. To refer to cell A3 on this worksheet write:
ERPReport!A3
Worksheets that are not in use from a certain point in the process can be released. Releasing a worksheet frees resources from Excel, and prevents accidental mistakes. It is advisable to explicitly release a worksheet if it is not in use anymore. Nevertheless, Djeeni also actively manages the worksheets.
Worksheets can be released by the WSheet Release process step (in the Worksheet category). The only parameter is the Djeeni name of the worksheet to be released.
SImple processes use some well-identified source and target worklists. They can be all specified with WSheet Use. Other processes have an unknown or variable number of worksheets. Typical examples are consolidation and splitting of worksheets where data processing should be done for each source or target worksheet. Djeeni automates such processes using workbook lists.
To specify a list of workbooks you should use instead of WSheet Use the process step WBook List Start (under the If/Lists category). You give this list a logical Djeeni name just like you give it to a worksheet specified by WSheet Use. At other process steps, you can use the Djeeni name of the workbook list to refer to the current worksheet in the list.
Look here for a detailed explanation of workbook lists.
There are several departments delivering monthly financial information using a well-prepared template. Each department delivers a separate workbook containing the only report worksheet. The woorkbooks are collected in a specific folder. The process to be automated is to consolidate these reports, to company level to yet another workbook, on one worksheet, having another template.