Updating a Specific Range Behind a PowerPoint Chart in Excel via Protobi

Updating charts in PowerPoint with data managed in Protobi can be seamless when you know how to target specific ranges in Excel. Here’s a step-by-step guide based on our workflow.

1. Create Chart Elements in Protobi

In Protobi, we first created elements corresponding to each chart in the PowerPoint. For example:

• A1_chart
• A2_chart

These elements serve as the bridge between Protobi data and the PowerPoint charts.

2. Export and Inspect Chart Data

We exported each chart to PowerPoint individually. By selecting a chart and choosing Edit Data, we could examine how Protobi exported the data into Excel. Initially, we noticed that Protobi exported products as columns.

3. Adjust Product Orientation

To simplify the update process, we de-selected the “Swap” option in Protobi so that products would export by row instead of by column. After re-exporting the chart to PowerPoint, we verified the new layout.

4. Specify Excel Range in Protobi

To ensure updates targeted the correct location in Excel, we set the chartOptions.powerpint.range property in Protobi to the desired cell, e.g., "Sheet1!A1".

5. Assign a Template

In the chart’s parent group, we defined chartOptions.powerpint.templateKey as "report.pptx". The template file report.pptx was uploaded under Project Settings > Data > Documents in Protobi. This ensures all chart exports adhere to a consistent layout.

6. Export and Verify

With the range and template specified, we exported the charts’ parent group to PowerPoint and confirmed that the charts updated correctly.

PowerPoint Preparation

Once the charts are in PowerPoint:

1. Set the chart name to match the Protobi element key.
2. Select the chart, choose Edit Data, and convert any tables to ranges:
   • Click on the table
   • From the Table menu, select Convert to Range
3. Replace the existing data with clearly dummy values. This ensures that when Protobi updates the chart, it’s obvious the update was successful.
4. Save the relevant slides as report.pptx for use as the template in Protobi.

Advanced Notes

• Protobi cannot update Excel worksheets formatted as Tables. Always convert tables to ranges before linking them to Protobi.
• Specifying the Excel range precisely allows targeted updates without affecting other parts of the worksheet.

By following this process, you can reliably update only specific ranges behind PowerPoint charts, keeping your reports dynamic and easy to manage through Protobi.