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Adding an assembly to a model

Adding an item to a model

Connecting a lookup question to an item or assembly variable

Before you begin

If you have not already added a lookup question to the database model, do so now. For more information, see Adding a lookup question to a model.

To connect a lookup question to an item or assembly variable:

  1. Add the selected item or assembly to the model on a line that falls below the lookup question you are going to use.

  2. Expand the item or assembly to view the Variable grid.

    You can collapse or expand the model to hide or show line detail.

    • To collapse the entire model, click The Collapse button o on the toolbar.
    • To expand the entire model, click The Expand button on the toolbar.
    • To collapse a single line, click [-] in the line header.
    • To expand a single line, click [+] in the line header.
  3. Place your cursor in the variable field where you want to connect the lookup question.

  4. Enter a formula to connect to a cell in an Excel spreadsheet as follows:

    1. Enter the equal sign (=)
    2. Enter your formula after the equal sign, using either the Get Cell Number or Get Cell Text function.

    3. Click out of the cell to accept the formula

      Examples In the following examples, Q4 is the lookup question and D4 is the cell in the Excel spreadsheet you are connecting to.

      • To return a text value from an Excel spreadsheet, enter the following formula: =GETCELLTEXT (Q4,"D4") .
      • To return a numeric value from an Excel spreadsheet, enter the following formula: =GETCELLNUMBER (Q4,"D4") .
  5. Click [OK] to save your model.

Tip: You can use the Calculation window to create a formula.

Tip: To activate the Calculation window, right-click in an assembly or item variable field, select Calculation Window, and then enter your calculation using the Functions option under List of Calculation Elements.