The Connectivity Explorer application is designed to serve as a primary source of dynamic data items for use in Excel. As such, it contains several features that provide tight integration with the Excel Connector.

Excel Clipboard Formats

Copy data as dynamic

When the Copy data as dynamic box in the Options dialog in Connectivity Explorer is checked, dynamic data transferred from the Connectivity Explorer through clipboard or drag-and-drop are transformed into RTD function calls, which allows them to remain dynamic when used in Excel.

When this box not checked, dynamic data transferred from the Connectivity Explorer  simply contains their current value, static.

Use RTD friendly format

When the Use RTD friendly format box in the Options dialog in Connectivity Explorer is checked, and when the actual point and parameters used allow it, the generated RTD function calls use a friendly topic format, which is easier to read and modify by a human. The friendly format uses a short series of arguments as topic strings in the RTD function.

When this box is not checked (or when the actual point and parameters used cannot be expressed in the friendly format), the generated RTD function call will specify the topic strings using XML (more lengthy, and less readable).

Copy in Excel format

When the Copy in Excel format box in the Options dialog in Connectivity Explorer is checked, (static) data transferred from the Connectivity Explorer through clipboard or drag-and-drop are formatted with Excel in mind. This setting tries to bypass some Excel "intelligence" that causes incorrect data imports.

Some examples of what this settings is trying to do:

• Prevent Excel from interpreting strings that begin with plus or minus sign, a decimal point, or a digit, as numbers.
• Prevent Excel from interpreting strings that "look like" dates or times as being actual dates or times.
• Assure proper transfer of Boolean values.
• Assure that date and time values will be transferred without misinterpretation, independent of any language or regional settings.
• Assure that time values do not lose milliseconds or even seconds.
• Assure that date and time values will be formatted by Excel as such.

Uncheck this box if you need to transfer data to programs other than Excel.

Synchronized Connectivity Configuration

Configure RTD server connectivity

When the Configure RTD server connectivity box in the Options dialog in Connectivity Explorer checked, any changes you make to the connectivity configuration (see Configure Connectivity Command) are also saved for use by the Connectivity RTD Server. This assures that your Excel spreadsheets with the RTD functions will use the same connectivity configuration as the one in the Connectivity Explorer. Note that you may have to restart Excel in order for any setting changes to take effect.