Difference between revisions of "Excel and Analytica"

 
(6 intermediate revisions by one other user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
[[Category: Excel to Analytica mappings]]
 
[[Category: Excel to Analytica mappings]]
  
Many people use Analytica to build quantitative models as an alternative to Microsoft Excel, because they find Analytica's influence diagrams make for more transparent models, Intelligent Arrays provide greater flexibility and power, and/or they want to treat uncertainty using Analytica's Monte Carlo tools. But, it's also common to use Analytica in combination with Excel -- using a spreadsheet to provide inputs into Analytica and/or a spreadsheet to save, share, and analyze results.   
+
Analytica plays nice with Excel and other spreadsheets. Even if you prefer to build models in Analytica, you may want to link it to spreadsheets. You may want to import input settings and data from a spreadsheet. Or you may want to save model results to a spreadsheet for others to review, share, or generate graphs.   
  
== Converting a spreadsheet into Analytica ==
+
There are several ways to read inputs from a spreadsheet into Analytica and write results back to a spreadsheet:
  
If you have have a spreadsheet that is too cumbersome, opaque, or inflexible, you may wish to translate it into Analytica. This is a great way to learn Analytica for a new user. It's also a powerful way to verify the validity of a spreadsheet by comparing the results of the Analytica model with the spreadsheet. This process often surfaces errors that were hidden in the spreadsheet.
+
* Usually the simplest is to use standard Analytica functions that [[Excel spreadsheets read and write|read from and write to Excel spreadsheets]]. These functions can open a spreadsheet, read from or write to a cell, cell range, named range, or worksheet. They can read and write formulas and formats as well as simple numbers or text values.
  
If you plan to convert a spreadsheet into Analytica, you should consult [[Excel to Analytica Translation]], a step-by-step guide for the process. You may also use [[Excel to Analytica Mappings]], which gives Analytica functions or expressions that are equivalent for most Excel functions.  
+
* In [[Analytica Cloud Platform]], these spreadsheet functions can prompt a user to upload or download a spreadsheet from or to their computer. For details see [[Spreadsheets in ACP]].
  
:[[File:Excel to Analytica.png|400px]]
+
* [[OLE linking]] lets you can link a cell or range in Excel with a corresponding Analytica variables. Any changes to the spreadsheet propagate automatically to the Analytica model, and vice versa. If both Analytica model and spreadsheet are open, each update to one propagates immediately to the other. If not, the update propagates when you next open the closed file (Analytica model or Excel spreadsheet). OLE is a standard Microsoft technology for creating live links among Microsoft Office products, including MS Excel and Word.  
  
== Integrating Analytica with Excel spreadsheets ==
+
* [[COM Integration]] (Component Object Model) also lets you link Link from Analytica to Excel.  It is another widely used Microsoft-developed method for communicating between Windows applications.  Analytica's COM functions let you access just about all features of Excel and other Microsoft Office applications. See [[COM and Excel examples]] for how this works.
 +
* You can also use [[Database access|ODBC]], a widely used standard for reading and writing relational databases, to access Microsoft Excel.
  
Analytica plays nice with Excel. It offers several ways of reading inputs from a spreadsheet into Analytica and writing results back to a spreadsheet:
+
== Convert a spreadsheet into Analytica ==
  
* Often the simplest way is to use a set of standard Analytica functions that [[Excel spreadsheets read and write|read from and write to Excel spreadsheets]]. These can open and close a spreadsheet, read from or write to a cell, cell range, named range, or tab.   They can read and write formulas and formats as well as simple numbers or text values.
+
If you have have a spreadsheet that is too cumbersome, opaque, or inflexible, you may wish to translate it into Analytica. You will end up with a model that is much clearer and simpler. The Analytica file is often 10 to 40 times smaller than the original Excel file -- even though you have added information in the form of visual influence diagrams and documentation, This dramatic reduction in size and complexity reflects a corresponding reduction in the effort to understand, test, communicate, and maintain a model.  Translating a spreadsheet is also a powerful way to find inconsistencies or errors by comparing the results of the spreadsheet and the Analytica model. The translation process often surfaces errors that were previously hidden in the spreadsheet.
  
* These functions also work with the [[Analytica Cloud Player]]. For details see [[Spreadsheets in ACP]]. When opening a spreadsheet from ACP, it can prompt the user to upload a spreadsheet to ACP. Similarly, when closing a spreadsheet, it can prompt the user to download a spreadsheet with the results.
+
See the [[Excel to Analytica Translation]] for a step-by-step guide to convert a spreadsheet into Analytica. We have yet to find an Excel calculation that can't be converted into Analytica.
  
* Another way to link cells or ranges in Excel with Analytica variables is to use [[OLE linking]]. This supports "live" update, so that changes to the spreadsheet propagate automatically to the Analytica model and vice versa.
+
[[Excel to Analytica Mappings]] shows the Analytica function or expression equivalent for most Excel functions.  
  
* You may also access Excel from Analytica using [[COM Integration]] (Microsoft Component Object Model), a widely used method for communicating between Windows applications.  Analytica's COM functions let you access just about all features of Excel and other Microsoft Windows applications. For examples, see [[COM and Excel examples]].
+
:[[File:Excel to Analytica.png|400px]]
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==

Latest revision as of 08:58, 20 June 2022


Analytica plays nice with Excel and other spreadsheets. Even if you prefer to build models in Analytica, you may want to link it to spreadsheets. You may want to import input settings and data from a spreadsheet. Or you may want to save model results to a spreadsheet for others to review, share, or generate graphs.

There are several ways to read inputs from a spreadsheet into Analytica and write results back to a spreadsheet:

  • Usually the simplest is to use standard Analytica functions that read from and write to Excel spreadsheets. These functions can open a spreadsheet, read from or write to a cell, cell range, named range, or worksheet. They can read and write formulas and formats as well as simple numbers or text values.
  • OLE linking lets you can link a cell or range in Excel with a corresponding Analytica variables. Any changes to the spreadsheet propagate automatically to the Analytica model, and vice versa. If both Analytica model and spreadsheet are open, each update to one propagates immediately to the other. If not, the update propagates when you next open the closed file (Analytica model or Excel spreadsheet). OLE is a standard Microsoft technology for creating live links among Microsoft Office products, including MS Excel and Word.
  • COM Integration (Component Object Model) also lets you link Link from Analytica to Excel. It is another widely used Microsoft-developed method for communicating between Windows applications. Analytica's COM functions let you access just about all features of Excel and other Microsoft Office applications. See COM and Excel examples for how this works.
  • You can also use ODBC, a widely used standard for reading and writing relational databases, to access Microsoft Excel.

Convert a spreadsheet into Analytica

If you have have a spreadsheet that is too cumbersome, opaque, or inflexible, you may wish to translate it into Analytica. You will end up with a model that is much clearer and simpler. The Analytica file is often 10 to 40 times smaller than the original Excel file -- even though you have added information in the form of visual influence diagrams and documentation, This dramatic reduction in size and complexity reflects a corresponding reduction in the effort to understand, test, communicate, and maintain a model. Translating a spreadsheet is also a powerful way to find inconsistencies or errors by comparing the results of the spreadsheet and the Analytica model. The translation process often surfaces errors that were previously hidden in the spreadsheet.

See the Excel to Analytica Translation for a step-by-step guide to convert a spreadsheet into Analytica. We have yet to find an Excel calculation that can't be converted into Analytica.

Excel to Analytica Mappings shows the Analytica function or expression equivalent for most Excel functions.

Excel to Analytica.png

See also

Comments


You are not allowed to post comments.