Add Excel Offline Data Source

This page explains the process of adding an Excel Offline data source in the Pirivision Port module.

The Excel Offline data source lets you upload a .xlsx file to Pirivision and write SQL-like queries against the file's contents in Compass. No external server or network connection is required — once the file is uploaded to Pirivision, it can be queried offline.

After the Excel data source is created, queries can be written against the file's sheets in the Compass module. Prepared queries are then transformed into chart / KPI formats in Cartography and used in Horizon or Atlas dashboards.

Prerequisite

Before adding an Excel Offline data source, the following should be ready:

An Excel file in .xlsx format (optimized for large files)
Knowledge of the sheet names you want to query
Column headers in the first row

→ Port — Excel Offline Overview

Information Needed Before Adding

Information	Description	Example
Name	Display name given to the data source inside Pirivision	`Excel`
Description	Purpose of the data source	`Excel for Example`
Excel File	The `.xlsx` file to upload	`pirivision_excel_offline_demo.xlsx`

Supported Format

Only .xlsx (Excel 2007 and above) is supported. .xls, .csv, or .ods files cannot be uploaded directly.

File Contents

Each sheet in the file can be queried as a separate table in Compass. Column headers (the header row) are used as field names in Compass.

1. Open the Port Module

Click Port in the left menu. Port is the module where data sources are added, listed, edited, and tested in Pirivision.

If no data source has been added before, the screen shows a Connect Your Factory Data message.

To add a data source from this screen you can use one of:

Add New Data Sources
Add Your First Data Source

2. Start the Add New Data Source Flow

Click the Add New Data Sources button at the top right.

If you are on the empty list screen, the Add Your First Data Source button in the middle starts the same flow.

3. Select the Excel Offline Data Source Type

In the screen that opens, data source types are listed under Select Your Data Source Type.

To add Excel Offline:

Go to the Web Services & Files section.
Pick the Excel Offline card.
Click Next at the top right.

Info

The Excel Offline option is used in Pirivision for offline analysis of Excel files. For REST web services pick RestAPI; for real-time IoT streams pick MQTT.

4. Fill in the Excel Form

After Excel Offline is selected, the Add Excel Source screen opens.

The bottom of the screen shows:

Upload and analyze local Excel files offline.

The form consists of three main sections:

Display Info
File Source
Location

No Connection Settings

Excel Offline data sources do not have Host, Port, or Authentication fields like SQL connections. The only configuration is the file selection.

5. Display Info

Display Info determines how the data source appears in the Pirivision UI.

Field	Required	Description	Default	Example
Name	Yes	The name used to identify the data source within Pirivision.	—	`Excel`
Description	No	A short note explaining what the data source is for. (Max 280 chars)	—	`Excel for Example`

Name

Used to identify this data source on panels and lists.

Good examples:

Excel
Production_Report_Excel
Capacity_Plan_Q1
Quality_Excel_2024

Description

An optional field that explains what this connection is for.

Example:

Excel file containing 2024 monthly production report data.

6. File Source

In File Source the Excel file to upload is selected.

State	Display
No file selected	File picker area (clickable)
File selected	`Selected File: file_name.xlsx Change`

To select a file you can:

Click the file picker area to open the system file browser.
Drag and drop the file onto the area.

After the file is selected, the area updates as Selected File: pirivision_excel_offline_demo.xlsx Change. Click the Change link to pick a different file.

File Size

Very large Excel files may extend the upload time. If possible use an optimized file containing only the necessary sheets.

7. Location

Location determines where the created data source is stored in the Pirivision folder structure.

Field	Description	Default
Target Folder	Folder where the data source is saved	`Root Directory`

When you click the Target Folder field, the folder selection dialog opens:

Example folder layout:

PORT/
├── Plant 1/
│   ├── Excel Reports/
│   └── SCADA/
├── Plant 2/
│   └── Excel/
└── Test Sources/

8. Save the Connection

After all required fields are filled in, click the Save button at the bottom right.

The screen shows:

Connection will be saved automatically

Auto Save

Excel Offline data sources do not test a network connection, so the Save button is used directly instead of Test & Save. When the file upload succeeds, the data source is listed instantly.

Success

On successful save, the Excel data source is listed on the Port screen and becomes available in Compass for querying the file contents.

Failure

On error, verify the file is in .xlsx format and is reachable.

9. Verify the Data Source in the List

After a successful save, returning to the Port main screen shows the created Excel data source in the list.

The list card shows the following info and actions:

Field / Action	Description
Data source icon	Indicates this is an Excel data source.
Name	Data source name.
Description	Description text.
Usage status	`In Use` or `Not in Use` info.
Edit	Updates file and display info. (See the Edit Mode section below)
More	Opens the additional actions menu.
↳ Move	Moves the data source to a different folder. → Move Data Source
↳ Duplicate	Creates a new copy with the same settings. → Duplicate Data Source
↳ Delete	Removes the data source. → Delete Data Source

10. Edit Mode — Updating the Excel File

When the Edit button is clicked the same form opens, with some important differences:

Property	Add Mode	Edit Mode
Form Title	Add Excel Source	Add Excel Source
File Source field	File picker area	Existing file name + Change link
Download as Excel	Not available	Link to download the existing file
Save button	Save	Update

Download as Excel

In Edit mode the Download as Excel link appears in the File Source section. Clicking this link downloads the currently uploaded file — useful for review or update.

Replacing the File

To update with a different Excel file, click the Change link and select the new file. Then click Update.

11. Common Errors

Error / Symptom	Possible Cause	Solution
File cannot be uploaded	File is not `.xlsx`	Save the file in `.xlsx` format.
File size error	File is too large	Reduce the file by removing unneeded sheets.
Sheet not visible in Compass	No valid sheet in file or missing header row	Ensure the file has at least one sheet and a header row.
Data source not visible in list	Filter or search active	Clear filter and search text on the Port list.
Cannot download in Edit mode	File removed from system	Delete the data source and recreate it with the file.
No data in Compass	File outdated	Use Edit → Change to upload the latest file and Update.
Will not save	Name field empty	Verify that the Name field is filled.

12. Next Step

After the Excel data source is created in the Port module, the process continues with Compass, Cartography, Horizon, and Atlas.

flowchart LR
    A["Port<br/>Excel Offline Data Source"] --> B["Compass<br/>Sheet Query"]
    B --> C["Cartography<br/>Chart / KPI"]
    C --> D["Horizon<br/>Page / Board Preparation"]
    D --> E["Atlas<br/>Dashboard View"]

Use in Compass

When the Excel data source is selected in Compass, the file's sheets are listed as tables. SQL-like queries can be written against each sheet. Column names are taken automatically from the file's header row.

Summary

The Excel Offline data source addition process:

Open the Port module.
Click the Add New Data Sources button.
Select Excel Offline as the data source type (Web Services & Files section).
Fill in the Display Info fields.
Pick the .xlsx file in File Source.
Choose the Target Folder.
Save the file and the data source with Save.
Verify the data source in the Port list.
Create a sheet query in the Compass module.