• Send a basic email
• Send an email to multiple recipients
• Add a Body to you email
• Prevent that awful Browser window from popping up when sending an email from Xcelsius.

First, you’ll want to add a simple URL button onto your canvas and go to properties:

.

To start a basic email, enter this into the URL input box:

mailto:mike@someaddress.com?subject=Email To DataPig

This will start a basic email when URL button is pressed. The email will have the To line filled in and the Subject line filled in.

If you want to send the email to multiple recipients, you can include other addresses separating each with a comma. Like this:

mailto:mike@someaddress.com, mico@someaddress.com?subject=Email To DataPig

Want to use the CC and BCC lines? That’s easy. Simply add the cc and bcc parameters:

mailto:mike@someaddress.com?cc=mico@someaddress.com&bcc=ryan@someaddress.com&subject=Email To DataPig

Notice that you will need to use the ampersand (&) to separate the parameters

OK, let’s get fancier and add a body.

mailto:mike@someaddress.com?cc=mico@someaddress.com&bcc=ryan@someaddress.com&;subject=Email To DataPig&body=I ate too much salmon.

If you need to add a multi-lined body (meaning the text of your body is on multiple lines), you can use your own carriage return encoding %0D.

To be able to use this, you will need to uncheck the “Encode URL” option. This will tell Xcelsius that you will handle the encoding.

.

Once you’ve disabled Xclesius’s encoding, you can enter something like this:

mailto:mike@someaddress.com?cc=mico@someaddress.com&bcc=ryan@someaddress.com&subject=Email To DataPig&body= I ate too much salmon.%0DNow I have salmonella.

And as always, you can dynamically build your mailto url address in Excel with formulas and simply reference it in the URL button.

So what about that nasty browser window that pops up when you send an email from Xclesius?

You can get rid of it by changing the “Open In” option to ‘This Window’.

After doing this, the extra browser window doesn’t open when you export your final SWF and HTML. You’ll still see it when you are in Preview mode, but rest assured, it will be gone when you go to run-time.

There you have it! Happy emailing!

Mike Alexander is the author of several books on advanced business analysis, including Crystal Xcelsius For Dummies. You can find Mike at Datapig Technologies, where he serves as principle contributor and shares free video tutorials with the Microsoft Office and Xcelsius communities.

I’ve been getting tons of emails asking when and where our webinar recordings will be posted.  I have finally been able to edit and post the last two recorded Xcelsius webinars at the links below:

Xcelsius 101 (for Beginners)

Xcelsius Advanced XML Connectivity (not XML Maps)

Note that each recorded webinar is FREE to view.  The embeded video will automatically start as soon as the video buffers..

If you are not able to see the video, you are probably missing the Windows Media Player ActiveX plug-in.  Just email me and I’ll help you get set up.

Enjoy!

Mike Alexander is the author of several books on advanced business analysis, including Crystal Xcelsius For Dummies. You can find Mike at Datapig Technologies, where he serves as principle contributor and shares free video tutorials with the Microsoft Office and Xcelsius communities.

Ok people.  Get ready to get excited.  As of November, I will be offering free webinars on a variety of topics.

Yes…I said Free!

Here are some of the Xcelsius Topics you can register for:

Xcelsius 101:
This session is a Beginner’s look at Xcelsius.  If you or someone on your team is just getting started with Xcelsius, this session will give you a proper introduction to all the features of this amazing dashboarding tool.

Xcelsius Tips and Tricks:
Join us to learn a few of my world-famous tips and tricks that will help you enhance your Xcelsius dashboards.

Xcelsius Advanced XML Connectivity:
In this Webinar, you will learn how to connect to external databases using full XML connectivity (Not just XML Maps).  This session will walk you step-by-step through the code you will need develop a connected Xcelsius dashboard.

Click Here to Register for any of these FREE webinars.

I wanted to drop a quick post to let our community know that due to an overwhelming request, we have decided to hold another session of our Xcelsius Advanced Developer Workshop.  

Xcelsius Advanced Developer Workshop

(Sep 22- Sep 23 | Dallas, TX)

Mike Alexander (Author, Crystal Xcelsius For Dummies) and Loren Abdulezer(Author, Xcelsius Best Practices) will host a 2-day Xcelsius Advanced Developer Workshop, September 2010 in Dallas, TX!  This workshop sold out in March so make sure you get in early.  Here, you will get a ton of advanced Xcelsius tips and techniques – such as:

 • Learn how to enhance your data models with advanced Excel functions
• Learn powerful dashboard design and charting techniques
• Learn tricks that will help to optimize the performance of your Xcelsius dashboards 
• Connect to databases using full XML connectivity (Not just XML Maps)
• Embed Xcelsius dashboards into Excel and Access
• Learn how to pass parameters from one Xcelsius dashboard to another
• Learn how create detailed drill-throughs in Xcelsius  using encoded URLs
• Learn how to use your Xcelsius dashboards to write back to your server Much more…
Sign up before September 1st and get 25% discount off registration! 

We look forward to seeing you.  

By the way:  Leading up to this event, I will be posting some cool new tips and tricks here, so stay tuned!

I  put together a video to show you how integrating Xcelsius into Excel and Access, enables you to:

• Utilize existing Microsoft Office solutions to extend the capabilities of Xcelsius.
• Utilize familiar Office environment as primary platform
• Take advantage of core Office features such as PivotTables
• Extend VBA to your Xcelsius models
• Simplify the data transfers to your Xceslius models

See video below or click here to see in browser.

If the video is too small in your browser click here to view.

Mike Alexander is the author of several books on advanced business analysis, including Crystal Xcelsius For Dummies. You can find Mike at www.datapigtechnologies.com, where he serves as principle contributor and shares free video tutorials with the Microsoft Office and Xcelsius communities.

Mike Alexander is the author of several books on advanced business analysis, including Crystal Xcelsius For Dummies. You can find Mike at www.datapigtechnologies.com, where he serves as principle contributor and shares free video tutorials with the Microsoft Office and Xcelsius communities.

Well in this video, I show you how a simple charting best practice and save you tons of time and energy.

Mike Alexander is the author of several books on advanced business analysis, including Crystal Xcelsius For Dummies. You can find Mike at www.datapigtechnologies.com, where he serves as principle contributor and shares free video tutorials with the Microsoft Office and Xcelsius communities.

Mike Alexander is the author of several books on advanced business analysis, including Crystal Xcelsius For Dummies. You can find Mike at www.datapigtechnologies.com, where he serves as principle contributor and shares free video tutorials with the Microsoft Office and Xcelsius communities.