SDMX data discovery, query, and visualisation within Excel

Chris NelsonMetadata Technology

Why Integrate with Excel?

• Excel is a familiar desktop tool– Used to import data (usually as CSV)– View data as tables and charts– Manipulate data

• It is not typically used to query data sources• Therefore the choreography of accessing data in

Excel has multiple steps• This choreography does not lend itself to data

discovery and query

Typical Choreography for Data Query and Viewing in Excel

Data Web Service

User Interface

query

response

Download as CSV

save

load

view

Solution

• Develop an add-in for Excel that can:– Interface to a web service that

• Delivers information on data sources (what is available)

• Delivers information that can be used to query data sources – wherever they are

• Queries the data sources• Delivers data and corresponding structural

metadata that enables intelligent display of data– Possibility to provide data manipulation

useful for statisticians and analysts (extrapolation, seasonal adjustment)

Architecture

Structural Metadata Data Quality

Metadata

SDMX Web Service SDMX Web Service SDMX Web Service

Fusion Cube

Simple Web Services for Data Discovery & Visualisation

Architecture: Interfaces

Structural Metadata Data Quality

Metadata

SDMX Web Service SDMX Web Service SDMX Web Service

Fusion Cube

Simple Web Services for Data Discovery & Visualisation

JSONREST

SDMX Web Services

DataStructure Definition

Data Flow

Data Provider

Registered Data Source

Register

Data Source

references

Query

Discover

Category Scheme

Category Categorisation

Provision Agreement

Data Provider Scheme

Content Constraint

Data Discovery and Query

Support in SDMX

Step 1: Select TopicSDMX Structures

User View in Excel Ribbon

Web Services

Step 2: Select Dimensions

DataStructure Definition

Data Flow

Step 3: Make Dimension Selections

Step 4: Submit Query

SDMX Structures Web Services

User View in Excel Ribbon

Step 5: View Data

Step 6: Pivot table