Overview of Data Linking

NOTE: This topic applies only to users of TaskMap Professional.

TaskMap Professional takes advantage of a capability found exclusively in Visio 2007 Professional called Data Linking. Data Linking allows you to connect shapes on a Visio drawing page with specific records in external data sources ranging from Excel spreadsheets to databases to SharePoint lists. Data from the external source is automatically applied to the shapes on the drawing page and as you update the source data, the drawing automatically reflects the changes.

Data linking is particularly powerful when combined with TaskMap Data Graphics – the combination means that you can change values in a spreadsheet and have those changes be represented graphically on your TaskMap.

TaskMap Professional makes data linking even easier because it includes TaskMap Capture for Excel – a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that has been preconfigured with all of the Task fields used by TaskMap Professional. You enter information about your Tasks in columns on the spreadsheet and then link the worksheet to a TaskMap.

Once you have linked your worksheet with a TaskMap you can either:

Add data to or update Tasks that are already on the drawing page
(refer to Adding TaskMap Capture Data to Existing Tasks)

Automatically create new Tasks that contain the data from your worksheet
(refer to Creating Tasks from a TaskMap Capture Worksheet).

The Data Linking Process

The TaskMap below summarizes the steps to create or Update a TaskMap using Data Linking.

$image\DL_TaskMap_process_overview_(small).gif$

Additional Information

For additional information about Visio’s data linking capability, do one of the following:

Type data linking into Visio’s help search box, located in the upper right of the Visio window:

$image\DG_Visio_help_text_box.gif$

Select Help/Microsoft Office Visio Help from Visio’s main menu and click on Using data