Hotlink Tips

Save time setting up your Record List by Importing in your Chart of Accounts
Copying & Pasting Data from a Spreadsheet
Hotlinking to a Spreadsheet or other Forecast
Substituting Hotlink File
Hotlinking Sub-Totals from another forecast
Creating Linked Forecasts

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Save time setting up your Record List by Importing in your Chart of Accounts

Prior to importing, you may like to see the format/s required. This can be done as follows:

1. Open one of your existing forecasts
2. Right-click the mouse on a grey area of the main screen (surrounding the Record List) and select ‘Export Record List’
3. Click on ‘Clipboard’ or ‘CSV File’ as required
4. If you select ‘Clipboard’ you can then go to a blank spreadsheet file and select ‘Edit’ > ‘Paste’.

This is the format your spreadsheet needs to be in to import via the Clipboard. If you select ‘CSV File’ you will be asked to enter the name and directory where you want to save the file. Once you have done this, you can open the CSV file through Excel and see the format needed to import from a CSV File

SPREADSHEET SET UP

1. The names of Section Headings are enclosed by left and right chevrons (« ») NOT two greater than/less than signs
2. The left chevron («) is created by holding down the ALT key and typing 174
3. The right chevron (») is created by holding down the ALT key and typing 175
   Note: The numbers should be entered using the number keypad & not the numbers along the top of your keyboard, for laptops this means holding down the Fn key
4. Names of Sub-Headings are prefaced by a left chevron («) (ALT 174)
5. Names of Sub-Items are prefaced by three full stops
6. Number of columns must reflect the number of months in the WinForecast template you are going to import into - ie if the template is for 2 years, there must be 24 columns etc
7. Zeros must be entered into the cells where there are no figures to be imported in for P+L Data ONLY! (see below)
8. All figures should be without commas & decimal places

EXAMPLE SPREADSHEET

To see an example of a spreadsheet which has been set up correctly click HERE.

WINFORECAST TEMPLATE

1. Create a New forecast in WinForecast using the empty template.
2. The number and name of sections in the forecast must match the number and names of sections in the spreadsheet.
3. The forecast into which the Record List is to be imported must have only Section Headings in its Record List (ie no records).

Importing from clipboard: (We find it easier to import via this method than the CSV method)

In the spreadsheet, highlight the cells you want to import. This must include the column in which the record names have been entered, plus the columns to its right (so 13 columns in total if your forecast is for 1 year). In the additional 12 columns you can enter the P&L data for records in Sales, Costs, Overheads and Other Income Sections.

Even if you aren’t importing any data, you must still highlight the additional 12 columns

Go to the New Forecast you have created in WinForecast

Right-click the mouse on a grey area of the main screen, then select ‘Import Record List’ and then ‘Clipboard’.

Importing from a CSV file:

The CSV file must include the column in which the record names have been entered, plus any P&L data in the twelve (12) columns to its right (so 13 columns in total). If you aren’t importing any data, you must enter 0 (zero) into the additional 12 columns, for at least the first record (ie normally a ‘Sales’ record)

Save the CSV file

Go to the New Forecast you have created in WinForecast

Right-click the mouse on a grey area of the main screen, then select ‘Import Record List’ and then ‘CSV File’

Select the location and name of the CSV file you created and saved

After you have imported in your chart of accounts you Check, and if necessary change, the Record Type of each imported record in the List of Records along with any assumptions to do with the cashflow and relationships between records (ie costs as a % of sales)

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Copying & Pasting Data from a Spreadsheet

Were you aware that you can copy and paste data from a spreadsheet into WinForecast without having to import in the whole chart of accounts or use a hotlink?

How To Do It

1. In the spreadsheet, select one or more consecutive groups of twelve cells (in tab separated format).
2. Copy them to the clipboard (ie Edit>Copy)
3. In WinForecast, create as many records as you have data for.
4. For each record in turn, click Enter Data.
5. Use the Show From spinner arrows to select the first month for which data is to be pasted
6. Put the cursor in the All box of the column you want to paste to
7. Right click the mouse anywhere on the window that is grey.
8. Select Paste from the pop-up menu.
9. Check that the data you have pasted in is correct for that record.

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Hotlinking to a Spreadsheet

Hot links are links between Sage WinForecast Professional records and data from other programs on your computer. Data is imported from that program into the linked record and, when the data changes, your forecast is automatically updated. A hot link can also be used to bring in data for later modification. To do this, set up the hot link and then remove it by reverting to Enter data in the appropriate drop-down list - the data will remain.

There are two generic types of hot link source are available:

1. Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet
2. Sage WinForecast Professional forecasts

How To Do It

• From the list of records, double-click the record that you want to hot link.
• Select Use Hot Link from the drop-down list at the top of the data column for the data you want linked.
• Click [Date] Range to specify the hot link to be used.
• If necessary, click Add and select the type of hot link that you require (eg, spreadsheets or forecasts).

For spreadsheets:

• A grid appears showing data from the file specified.
• Either select the Named Range to use, or highlight the cells that provide data for this hot link. (A named range must contain one or twelve cells, in a single row or column).
• A selected range will be coerced so that it does have the correct number of cells. Click OK.
• The range and current data is displayed for confirmation. If you need the data to be negated, click Negate Data.
• Click OK.

For forecasts:

• In the Record to Use list, highlight the heading, sub-heading or record to which you want to hot link.
• For multi-year forecasts, a single range covers all years, unlike hot links to spreadsheets.
• In the % Used column, enter the percentage of the source record to be used each year.
• If you need the data to be negated, click Negate Data.
• Click OK.

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Substituting Hotlink File

Hot links are links between Sage WinForecast Professional records and data from other programs on your computer. Data is imported from that program into the linked record and, when the data changes, your forecast is automatically updated.

Three generic types of hot link source are available:

1. Spreadsheet or database files
2. Sage Line 50 (v5 or later), Sage Line 100 or Sage Line 200/CS3 datasets
3. Sage WinForecast Professional forecasts

Each time you set up or change a hot link to a record, you can add a new hot link source, or subsitute the current source with a new source.

How to do it

From the main windows menu, go to File>Hotlinks Add in the new source by clicking on the Add button and selecting the new source. Having the new source added in and highlighted, click on the Substitute button. Then select the source to be replaced and click on the Subtitute button again.

NOTE: To successfully substitute the hotlink source, the new source must be setup in the same manner as the source to be replaced.

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Hotlinking Sub-Totals from another forecast

Did you know that you can hotlink the sub-total of one forecast to another forecast? 

How to do it

• Setup your sub-total and sub-item records in the appropriate section. (The record type must be either Separately Invoiced Cost/Stock/Income.


• Enter your data into the sub-item records.


• Save the file.

THEN:

• In the forecast that you wish to hotlink the sub-total to, create a new record in the appropriate section.


• Enter Data>Use Hot Link


• Click on Range>Add


• Choose to Hot Link a WinForecast Forecast, click OK then click on the WinForecast Forecast that you have created the sub-total and sub-items in.
  It will then show you the list of records, click on the Sub-Total record.


• A preview will come up to show you what data has been hotlinked from that record. This should be the sub-total figure.

NOTE: Records must be typed SEPARATELY INVOICED for this to work.

Creating Linked Forecasts

Were you aware that you can link a forecast to another forecast? This feature allows you to maintain a base forecast and have best/worse case files linked to it. For example you have 3 files - your base forecast, a file linked at 80% and one linked at 120%. Anytime your base file is updated and saved, the linked files will be updated along with it. Making it quick and easy to see the impact of a % increase/decrease on your base assumptions.

How To Do It

• Have open a WinForecast file that has already been created and saved. This will be your base file.
• Go to Wizards>Create Hotlinked Forecast from the main window�s menu. You can select which data is to be hot linked and specify for each year the percentage of the base forecast�s data to use.
• You will be asked to provide sub-headings for the new file being created.

Once the linked file has been created you can amend specific linked %'s by going into the data entry screens of your records and clicking on the Range button. Don't forget to save your new file!

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