Getting Started with eaSheets

Here are some steps to get you started using the key features of eaSheets as soon as possible. You can follow these steps on your model or use the eaTeamWorks Testing model, which comes with your installation or can be downloaded from our Resources section.

To explore all the options in an eaSheet, see eaSheets Options.

View Existing Data

To view data that already exists in your model in a spreadsheet,

• right-click on a package in the browser, and go to Specialize > eaSheets > Open elements in sheet.
• right-click a diagram in the browser or the diagram view, choosing between
  • Specialize / eaSheets / Open Diagram / Open diagram elements to open all the element in the diagram
  • or
  • Specialize / eaSheets / Open Diagram / Open diagram connectors.

If you choose to open all the elements in a package or diagram, you will be shown a spreadsheet listing all the elements, with some default columns.  the Name of each element, and any other important information.

Note: eaSheets will check what information you’ve changed/added from the default EA values and only display that when you first load your sheet.

Curate what you can see

eaSheets will show you various data about your elements by default. Still, you can change what appears manually on your sheet.

On the Toolbar, choose the Rows and Columns button. This will open the Worksheet Settings window. You can select the available EA Element Attributes from here on your sheet.

• On the left, choose which element type you want to add attributes for, or select ‘Add Related Elements’ for the selected element type to add information about related elements on your sheet. Choosing element types and columns
• In the center, see the available fields that you can use to add data to your sheet. Selecting one of these and clicking ‘add’ will add it to the bottom of the list on the right.
• On the right, see what attributes are selected and reorder or remove them to display exactly what you care about using the arrow buttons.

Edit your Data

When you have all the columns that you want in your sheet, you can start editing the data in your model directly via eaSheets. Simply type into the cell the updated information.

When you must choose a fixed value (e.g. Connector direction), eaSheets will show you a drop down. Otherwise, this is a free text entry, so be sure you haven’t made spelling errors. (PS to reduce errors, and if you need to add existing elements, you can right click to add related elements and choose them from a pop-up browser window.)

Once you have updated all the values that you want in your sheet, click the ‘Update Model’ Button.

Before you save you can compare your data to what’s in EA, to avoid overwriting anything important.

Once clicked, the element type column will turn green to show that the information has been successfully updated. Any elements highlighted in red have encountered an error when updating; you must manually check these elements.

Add new

Once you know how to edit data in your sheet, you may also want to add new data or elements to your model using sheets. There are two ways to do this:

1. Add elements to an existing list by typing in the next row down. Be sure to include the Element Type and Name for each new element, as these are required.
2. Add a new list of elements in an empty package – see our Importing data guide for more details on this method.

NB: If you manually add a column header that doesn’t exist as an EA Element Attribute, eaSheets will create this as a Tagged Value for all elements that have a value in this column.

Save your Work

Once you’re happy with the changes and additions you’ve made to your sheet, you may want to keep the sheet for future use as a permanent view into your model, or use the sheet to get feedback from others.

1. Save in EA – you can save your sheet as an element in EA that can be opened any time and updated with the most current information in your model to get an instant view of any changes or updates. Use the drop-down under the save icon and chose ‘save to package’.
2. Save to Microsoft Excel – If you export your sheet as an Excel Workbook you can send it to any user for feedback, updates, or additional information.

NB: A workbook that has been exported using eaSheets can be imported directly back into your model, allowing you to make instant updates to your information from users that don’t have access to your modeling.

More

For detailed step-by step guides see eaSheets Walk-through (1) open, edit and validate and eaSheets Walk-through (2) Round trip editing