12.12 Exporting Tag Data from the Historical Data Viewer Page

In addition to enabling you to plot tag data on its graphs, the Historical Data Viewer page allows you to export data for the tags whose data is currently being plotted. This data can be exported to any ODBC-compliant database file, or to a comma-separated value (CSV) file that can be imported by most database software.

 

This exercise demonstrates how data can be exported to a Microsoft Excel format file.  

1.  Ensure that your new pen group is loaded onto the graph by selecting it in the pen group selector drop-down list.

2.  Configure a 2-minute duration by selecting the "2 Minutes" preset time span from the duration selector drop-down list.

3.  Click the Export Wizard button. The Export Wizard will open.

Figure 165

4.  Click the Next button.

Figure 166

5.  Ensure that "Excel Spreadsheet" is selected in the drop-down list.

6.  Click the Next button.

Figure 167

The default filename will be "Export.xls". This will be saved to your application directory unless you specify otherwise using the Browse button.  For now the default name will do.

 

7.  Click the Next button.

Figure 168

8.  Click the Finish button. VTS will create the new data source file and will save it to the path you specified with the name and extension you specified.

The data for the tags associated with the pens that are currently plotting data on the Historical Data Viewer page is exported to the new Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The amount of data exported corresponds to the duration you selected in the duration selector drop-down list. You should now navigate to "C:\MyExports" to view the new Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.