Link Excel to Google Spreadsheets?

Question

Google has recently published an API for their Spreadsheet (http://code.google.com/apis/gdata/spreadsheets.html). My question is if it would be possible to link an Excel document to a Google Spreadsheet via an XML Map? This means that the Excel document would could be updated with the data in the Google Spreadsheet. Wouldn't it be great?

Thanks a lot for the answer! The reason why I wanted to do this with XML maps is that I want to connect Crystal Xcelsius from Business Objects to the Google Spreadsheets. Xcelsius uses Excel as the datasource, but VBA cannot be run from Crystal Xcelsius. As I understand from your answer there would be no way to priovide Crystal Xcelsius with fresh data from Google Spreadsheets.

Answer 1

Anything's possible. I think it would end up being a bit more complex than simply using an XML map. From Excel, you would likely have to write a bit of an Http client using MSXML4's XmlHttp object, and set up events in VBA to fire on spreadsheet open. From looking at the Google API, there's no way around that as you have an authentication hurdle to cross before you can get the spreadsheet.

it is doable, but you've got more work on your hands than an XML map.

Answer 2

yes u r right