Embedding DPL Workspaces

DPL offers a feature that allows you to embed a DPL Workspace into an Excel file -- creating a single file. A DPL Workspace can be embedded if the workspace contains:

  • unlinked model(s) that are all blank
  • a non-blank model that is linked to the Excel file in which you're attempting to embed

When starting from a new empty Workspace (e.g., that has one blank model in it), you can either embed immediately or you can build a model linked to the Excel file you'd like to eventually embed within -- and then embed the workspace when necessary. In the latter case, if there are other models are in the workspace they must be blank or unlinked. You can't build an unlinked model and then try to embed it in a file.

If the above conditions are met you can embed a DPL Workspace to an Excel file by choosing File | Embed. This will bring up a prompt asking if you'd like to embed the workspace to the given Excel file. It further explains that the workspace will be written to the Excel file using the most recent DPL file format and that future saves write the workspace to the Excel file. You can check the box at the bottom of the dialog if you'd like to save the Excel file also upon a Workspace save. This option can be changed within File | Options | Workspace. Once you embed a Workspace, saving in DPL means that all the Workspace data is written to the Excel file. However, the Excel file is not automatically saved to disk. To do that, you must save from Excel. The "Save Excel file Upon Workspace save" means that when you save in DPL, it also saved the Excel file to disk, as if it had been done from Excel.

To un-embed a Workspace from the Excel file, choose File | Un-embed.

Versions: DPL Professional, DPL Enterprise, DPL Portfolio