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What You Need to Know about Excel Client in Pricefx

In this section you will learn the most important information you need to work with Excel client in Pricefx along with planned changes, maintenance and more related to it.

Excel Client Deprecation Notice

The Excel Client is deprecated as of Release 17.0 and is disabled by default in that release.

  • As of Release 17.0, the Excel Client is disabled by default and will not be enabled automatically after upgrade.

  • Customers who require additional time to transition should contact their Customer Success Manager to discuss possible workaround options.

Recommended Alternatives

Customers should transition to the following supported tools:

  • Import Manager
    Use for bulk data operations such as managing Products, Customers, Parameters, Price Lists, and similar objects. This is the recommended standard tool for data imports.

  • PlatformManager Data Upload
    Continue to use for user maintenance imports, as this functionality is not supported by Import Manager.

Tips

  • The Excel Client should no longer be used for new implementations.

  • Existing processes relying on Excel Client must be reviewed and migrated accordingly.

  • Early migration is strongly recommended to avoid disruption during system upgrades.

Excel Client in Pricefx: Current Status and Planned Actions

Compatibility

We are committed to maintaining compatibility with Microsoft for our product, and we'll continue to do so as long as it remains compatible with their systems. This period cannot be estimated as it depends on Microsoft's plans for the external libraries used in Excel Client, over which we have no control. To ensure transparency, we have already communicated this message to Excel Client users to prevent any sudden surprises.

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Some aspects of using Excel Client in Pricefx may be dependent on your role and permissions.

Pricefx and Excel Client Updates

As part of our efforts to stay up-to-date, we are aware that Microsoft is gradually phasing out certain technologies and implementing stricter rules around them. Consequently, we have decided not to introduce new features to the Excel Client.

Excel Client Parity

Currently, our Pricefx product does not have a 1-1 Excel Client parity. While some areas allow for simple CSV uploads, users have more flexibility in PlatformManager where they can upload various types of data, although it doesn't replicate Excel's full functionality.

Future of Excel Client in Pricefx

Regarding the potential for a new desktop tool resembling Excel Client, we have explored alternative technologies offered by Microsoft, such as scripts and add-ons for Office 365, but we have not made significant progress in that direction yet. Our primary goal is to incorporate the necessary use cases directly into our Pricefx or PlatformManager application. However, this process may take some time to ensure a seamless experience and achieve a level of functionality comparable to Excel, and it's possible that we may encounter limitations that prevent this altogether.

Therefore, for the foreseeable future, the import functionality in Pricefx or PlatformManager will serve as the alternative once Excel Client becomes non-functional due to Microsoft Policy changes. Rest assured, we are continuously working on enhancing our product to best serve our users' needs.

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Learn about how to upload your data.

Maintenance Mode

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Excel Client is in maintenance mode with no new functionalities planned. Not every new object added to the application (such as Sellers or Seller Extensions) will be available in Excel Client. When issues in Excel Client are found, they will be scheduled for fixing through our standard prioritization process.

When it comes to uploading your XLS files to a partition, you are encouraged to use Data Upload in PlatformManager or the Import/Export functionality available for individual Pricefx tables.

What You Can Do with Excel Client

  • Manipulate your Pricefx data (customers, product extensions, users etc.) using MS Excel.

  • Modify the metadata of the table columns (take special care when doing this).

The Excel Client can be accessed from the Master Data menu.

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Limitations:

  • The Excel Client is only suitable for smaller data sets, up to about 25,000 lines.

  • Attributes in JSON format cannot be uploaded or downloaded using Excel Client.

  • Company Parameter tables with JSON Table Type and JSON2 Value Type cannot be updated using Excel Client.

  • When authenticating via Excel Client, the JWT token is stored in the downloaded XLSM file. This poses a security risk. To prevent injecting JWT token to the Excel file, set the application property doNotInjectJWTInEC to true. This however means that the user will have to log in when using Excel Client.

  • Excel Client supports only int32 (integer) numbers. This is due to a MS Excel limitation of 15 digits precision. Numbers larger than 15 digits will be trimmed to the floating-point number type (double type). Note that Unity UI supports int64 (long) which can have up to 19 digits. 

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Important note:

  • Excel Client uses VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) macros by Microsoft. As this technology has been one of the most significant entry points for malicious code, newer Microsoft Office applications block execution of any VBA macros by default. Furthermore, Microsoft is planning to phase out support for executing VBA macros in downloaded Office documents completely.
    This situation has also contributed to the decision not to introduce any new functionality in Pricefx Excel Client and focus on our own import/export functionality (as stated at the top of this page). Further reading: Microsoft 365 roadmap.