Using Omniscope with Google Spreadsheets

Display collaborative data sets with live refresh

Google Docs and Spreadsheets is a free service that enables anyone to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations online. You can import and collaboratively edit or publish from .doc, .xls, .csv, .ppt, .txt, .html, .pdf and other formats. You can export files for use with traditional desktop software as well.

Hosted online spreadsheets enable powerful new workflows with collaborative data compilation and editing options...no more playing 'file tag' with offline spreadsheet files circulating as e-mail attachments. These so-called 'cloud' solutions enable co-workers to share the same online copy of each document, spreadsheet or presentation. All revisions are saved and recoverable.

Omniscope will connect to any Google spreadsheet and edit it online in the browser or off-line in Omniscope. Changes will be synchronised between Omniscope and Google Spreadsheets in real time. The combination permits collaborative compilation and maintenance of data sets delivered in branded, highly-visual Omniscope files with the possibility of live refresh and banner ads inside the file.

Combining Google's free hosted online spreadsheets with Omniscope provides a 'best of both worlds' solution enabling many new workflow and publishing options. Data publishers and most businesses can benefit greatly by shifting most typical spreadsheet data compilation and maintenance workflows to an online spreadsheet linked to Omniscope.

Creating Shareable Google Spreadsheets

When you create a new Google Spreadsheet, there are two ways of inviting others to help compile, edit and maintain the data.  For data being published to the public, you can define a link or key allowing anyone with the link to connect to the data using Omniscope, and optionally help to edit the data. Once this link is embedded in the Omniscope file, this source worksheet will be remembered and data refreshable in activated Omniscopes from the Omniscope file. For company internal data, you can  use the more Google Docs Share with others dialog to determine who will have what type of access to the spreadsheet, who can make changes etc.

Importing Data from Google Spreadsheet Worksheets

To create an Omniscope file from a Google Spreadsheets worksheet (either private or public) as a linked data source, go to File > Open online source > Google Spreadsheets. Enter your account details for private spreadsheets, or the link or spreadsheet key to use public spreadsheets. Once you have logged into your account or connected to a public spreadsheet, select the worksheet that will be the linked data source for this Omniscope file.

Omniscope will automatically import the data and open in the default layout. You can further configure the layout of the Omniscope file, then save it  as an .IOK/.IOM file. The default refresh behaviour with online data sources is 'Never', since you may want to open the file while offline. If you or your colleagues have activated Omniscopes, while online you can use Data > Refresh from source for on-demand refresh, or you can go Data > Automatic Refresh to configure automated refresh based on frequency of polling timings you can configure. If you plan to always open the file while online, you may choose to save it with refresh set to 'Always'.

Refreshing Data from Google Spreadsheets

You can save an Omniscope file whose linked data source is a Google spreadsheet with the refresh behaviour set to 'Always', and the file will update itself with the latest data from the Google spreadsheet. You can also activate and configure Automatic refresh to keep the Omniscope file updated while open.

You can view the linked data source spreadsheet from the Omniscope file using the Web View.  Files using the Google Spreadsheets connector open by default to display the linked spreadsheet in a Web View: