Relative links to external data

[AyEff]

Hello,

Does anyone know if it is possible to use relative links to an external data source?

I have a VSD file located in a folder with an XLS of metadata in the same folder.
(NB using Visio 2010 btw).

Each time these files are moved, the links are broken because they are absolute.
If you could specify "use relative links" - the problem would be solved.

Many thanks in advance.

Cheers,


Andy

[JuneTheSecond]

Same kind of a question is not yet answered since 2011.
    http://visguy.com/vgforum/index.php?topic=2814.msg11941#msg11941
If you can get no answer, please google some hints in the web by yourself.
For example.
1. bVisual Updating the file path of data linked Excel tables in Visio
   https://blog.bvisual.net/2015/03/13/updating-the-file-path-of-data-linked-excel-tables-in-visio/
2. Visio Guy Moving Linked Data Sources in Visio 2007
   http://visguy.com/vgforum/index.php?topic=2134.msg9531#msg9531
3. Automate moving data connected Visio diagrams
   https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/chhopkin/2013/06/10/automate-moving-data-connected-visio-diagrams/
4. About linking shapes to data
   https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/ff766177.aspx

[Croc]

You can try to replace absolute links to relative with a macro.
An example below does this for the first DataRecordSet.

Code

Sub ttt()
    s = ActiveDocument.DataRecordsets(1).DataConnection.ConnectionString
    Pos1 = InStr(1, s, "Data Source=") + Len("Data Source=")
    Pos2 = InStr(Pos1, s, ";")
    Pos3 = InStrRev(s, "\") + 1
    If Pos3 > Pos1 Then
        s2 = Mid(s, Pos1, Pos3 - Pos1)
        s3 = Replace(s, s2, "")
        ActiveDocument.DataRecordsets(1).DataConnection.ConnectionString = s3
    End If
End Sub

[JuneTheSecond]

How would you like manually change the data source after moving?
Press button of change data source in "Configure Refresh" window.
As is written in the document nVisual Updating the file path of data linked Excel tables in Visio.
https://blog.bvisual.net/2015/03/13/updating-the-file-path-of-data-linked-excel-tables-in-visio/

[JuneTheSecond]

I've studied Croc's macro, and found really cool to change the path to external data to relative from absolute.

I used to store my Visio drawings in the folder, Documents\Visio Drawings, and Excel books in Documents\Excel Books.

So I changed just a line of Croc's macro,
from

Code

s3 = Replace(s, s2, "") 

to

Code

s3 = Replace(s, s2, "..\Excel Books\")

After I run the macro and confirmed the relative path is really applied as

Code

Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;User ID=Admin;Data Source=..\Excel Books\HLG３００ｘ８１Weight History.xlsx;Mode=Read;Extended Properties="HDR=YES;IMEX=1;MaxScanRows=0;Excel 12.0;";Jet OLEDB:System database="";Jet OLEDB:Registry Path="";Jet OLEDB:Engine Type=37;Jet OLEDB:Database Locking Mode=0;Jet OLEDB:Global Partial Bulk Ops=2;Jet OLEDB:Global Bulk Transactions=1;Jet OLEDB:New Database Password="";Jet OLEDB:Create System Database=False;Jet OLEDB:Encrypt Database=False;Jet OLEDB:Don't Copy Locale on Compact=False;Jet OLEDB:Compact Without Replica Repair=False;Jet OLEDB:SFP=False;Jet OLEDB:Support Complex Data=False;Jet OLEDB:Bypass UserInfo Validation=False;Jet OLEDB:Limited DB Caching=False;Jet OLEDB:Bypass ChoiceField Validation=False

Really got "Data Source=..\Excel Books\HLG３００ｘ８１Weight History.xlsx".
Of course, you can refresh data, and relative path is kept after that.
Very cool!

[sychik]

Just write

Code

.\Datasource.xlsx

in Data selector wisard.
Or

Code

..\File in parent folder.xlsx

if needed.
Your data is now updated from file, kept with drawing.