Essential SharePoint

Creating Web Parts from Excel

You can create custom Spreadsheet web parts from Excel 2003 using the Excel Office Web Part Add-In. Excel web parts can include data bindings, XML Maps, formatting, and complex formulas that are difficult to create from the Spreadsheet web part's browser interface.

The add-in doesn't create a new web part assembly, but rather customizes the existing Spreadsheet web part by adding a new web part description (.dwp) to the site gallery. Before you begin, download and install the components listed in Table 8-5 from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads.

Table 8-5. Downloads for Office web parts

Download	Install on	Used to
Office Web Parts (ststpkpl.exe)	Server	Provide Spreadsheet, charting, and pivot table web parts.
Office Web Components (owc11.exe)	Clients	Provides interactive features from web parts for Office 2003 users and read-only capability for non-Office 2003 clients.
Excel Office Web Part Add-in (Spreadsheet Add-In.EXE)	Development machine	Create custom Spreadsheet web parts from within Excel 2003.

Tip

The add-in is currently in beta testing. By the time a release version of the add-in is available, some of these procedures and descriptions may have changed.

Installing the add-in appends the Create Add-In menu to Excel. To create a web part from an existing spreadsheet:

1. Open the workbook containing the spreadsheet in Excel 2003.

2. Choose Create Add-In. Excel displays the dialog in Figure 8-10.

3. Enter the name of the SharePoint server you wish to ...