Exporting a Link to Excel

App Building
1

I am trying to export a link to an Excel file and I can't get it active.

Please see the screen captures below:

This shows the code that puts the link into the MySQL file"Letter03"

Pict1
Pict1857×182 21 KB

This shows the API that generates to Excel File.

Pict3
Pict3442×531 32.7 KB

This shows what comes out in the Excel File.

Pict2
Pict2868×266 45.1 KB

The text beside the error is not active. What code should I have in the first screen capture that would result in an active link in the Excel File.

Any help would be appreciated.

Mike

2

Hello Mike!

Looks like you got the hardest part all set up correctly, if the link in the last picture next to the red arrow is exactly what you want to end up in the Excel doc.

I did some Googling and there doesn't seem to be a way to set the value to be a Link on Retool's end, but there are a couple of things that can be done on the Excel side of things to convert a string that you add to a clickable link!

I found this blog post, where a user has a clever way to add in a specifier to Excel so that it knows to convert anything inside a given cell or column to be a clickable link.

As well as this form post that confirms the easiest way to do this seems to be by changing the column type with a formula of =HYPERLINK(A1) (replacing A1 with whatever cell you are interested in).

Hope this helps!

3

Hi Jack:

I appreciate your effort in running this down.

I am unable to get this to work on my version of Excel. I have found with Microsoft that their specialty code does not work on all versions of Excel.

I am using OFFICE 2016. And many of my customers may be using OFFICE 2016 as well.

So I have got the HYPERLINK code commented in but for now I won't be able to use it.

The code I am using is:

INSERT INTO Letter03 (f3) select "Click on the link below to pay this bill.";
insert into Letter03 (f3) select {{localStorage.values.Plink}};

This resulting Excel spreadsheet presents an inactive link.

Its just a matter of clicking into the Edit Box for the link then clicking out of it and the link becomes active.

I think this is the safest way for us to go right now. But I will mark it as a solution.

Thanks again for looking this up for me. I may eventually use this but not right away.

Mike

1 Like