AX2289

Windows Client design considerations for Axiom files

The Axiom Software Windows Client uses a web-enabled spreadsheet engine to simulate the Microsoft Excel environment. While most spreadsheet and Axiom Software functionality is available in this web environment, there are some limitations.

This topic details design considerations to keep in mind when designing Axiom files for use in the Windows Client. By default, all Axiom files should follow these design considerations. Axiom files should not use features that are incompatible with the Windows Client unless it is absolutely known that the installation (or the particular file) will only use Excel.

Axiom forms must also follow these design considerations, because the Web Client uses the same web-enabled spreadsheet engine as the Windows Client. Although form users do not see the spreadsheet source file, it is opened on the server using the spreadsheet engine.

Functions

Most Microsoft Excel functions are supported for use in the Windows Client. Some functions are not supported, or may have behavior differences.

All Axiom Software functions are supported for use in the Windows Client.

Unsupported functions

The following functions are not supported:

  • ASC
  • BAHTTEXT
  • CONCAT
  • CALL
  • DBCS
  • EUROCONVERT
  • FORMULATEXT
  • GETPIVOTDATA
  • IFS
  • JIS
  • MAXIFS
  • MINIFS
  • PHONETIC
  • REGISTER.ID
  • RTD
  • SQL.REQUEST
  • SWITCH
  • TEXTJOIN
  • Any cube-related function (CUBEKPIMEMBER, CUBEVALUE, etc.)

Function behavior differences

Note the following function behavior differences between the Windows Client and Excel:

Function Behavior Differences

CEILING

The behavior of the function CEILING is the old Excel behavior. In older versions of Excel, if the number and significance have different signs, CEILING returns the #NUM! error value. In current versions of Excel, if the number and significance have different signs, the number is rounded up or down toward zero.

CELL

The Windows Client requires the second parameter of CELL to specify the cell that you want to return information about, whereas Excel does not require this parameter. If the second parameter is omitted, then the Windows Client will return an error.

Also, when using CELL to return the file name, the Windows Client returns the location in the Axiom file system, whereas the Excel returns the location of the temporary file on the client workstation.

HYPERLINK

 In the Windows Client, HYPERLINK cannot be used to link to a file. However, it can be used to link to a web page URL.

INDIRECT

Use of INDIRECT to other sheets can cause issues in the Windows Client if the sheet name has a space. To work around this issue, do not use spaces in the sheet names (an underscore is a good alternative).

MATCH

When the values -1 and 1 are used in the third parameter of the MATCH function, the Excel Client and the Windows Client may return different values if the data is not sorted according to the Excel MATCH documentation.

Spreadsheet features

Most Microsoft Excel spreadsheet features are supported in the Windows Client. Some features are not supported, and some may behave differently in the Windows Client environment. If Axiom files are to be used in the Windows Client, make sure to test in that environment to help identify any feature that may not be working as expected.

Unsupported spreadsheet features

Some Microsoft Excel features that were new in Excel 2007 and up are not supported—for example, sparklines, slicers, and improved charting. However, this does not mean that your spreadsheets must be 100% compatible with Excel 2003 in order to work in the Windows Client. For example, the expanded row and column limits of up to 1 million rows and columns out to XFD are fully supported.

Other spreadsheet limitations include:

  • Cell comments and form controls (buttons, check boxes, list boxes, etc.) are not supported in the Windows Client, and will be removed if the file is saved in the Windows Client.

  • Table references in formulas—such as [Sales]—are converted to #REF!. Excel Tables are not supported in the Windows Client.

  • Reading and writing shapes is limited. Complex shapes will be lost when a file is saved in the Windows Client, and other shape properties may be lost. It is not recommended to use shapes.

  • Certain image formats are not supported and will be removed when the file is saved in the Windows Client: GIF, EMF, WMF.

  • Visual Basic (VBA) is not supported in the Windows Client. When XLSM files are opened in the Windows Client, any VBA in the file is preserved for later use in the Excel Client, but it is not available for use in the Windows Client.

  • Cell indenting is not supported in the Windows Client. Indented text is displayed, but without the indent.

  • The "shrink to fit" cell formatting option is not supported in the Windows Client.

  • Pivot tables are not supported in the Windows Client, and will be "flattened" when the file is saved in the Windows Client.

  • Sheet protection from Excel 2013 or up, if manually applied to a sheet, will prevent the file from being opened in the Windows client. Sheet protection should always be applied via the Control Sheet.

  • Copying and pasting content into the Windows Client is limited to 65536 rows. When pasting content copied from Excel, any content that exceeds this limit will not be copied.

TIP: If something is not working in the Windows Client as expected, try saving a copy of the file within Excel as an XLS file. Review the warnings in the compatibility checker to see if you may be using a newer Excel feature that is not supported in the Windows Client.

Spreadsheet feature behavior differences

Some spreadsheet features, while supported, may work slightly differently in the Windows Client versus the Excel Client:

  • Data Validation drop-down lists do not work in the Windows Client if they are located within frozen panes.

  • Data Validation sheet references will not work in the Windows Client, unless they are wrapped in an Indirect function. For example: Indirect("Info!A1:A10").

  • The sheet protection settings applied by Axiom Software work slightly differently between the Excel Client and the Windows Client. For more information, see Configuring worksheet protection for Axiom files.

  • The Excel feature Insert Hyperlink is supported by the Windows Client, but not to link to another file. It can be used to link to a web page, or to link to a place within the current document.

Axiom file features

All Axiom file features are available in both the Windows Client and the Excel Client, such as Axiom queries, Axiom functions, save-to-database, calc methods, and file formatting / display options such as GoTo bookmarks, view controls, and snapshots.

Some non-Axiom features that leverage Excel functionality are not available or limited in the Windows Client, such as the ability to save files to Sharepoint. For more information, see Feature limitations for the Windows Client.