How to update Basecamp from Excel

The CData Excel Add-In for Basecamp enables you to edit and save Basecamp data directly from Excel. This article explains how to transfer data from Excel to Basecamp. This technique is useful if you want to work on Basecamp data in Excel and update changes, or if you have a whole spreadsheet you want to import into Basecamp. In this example, you will use the Projects table; however, the same process will work for any table that can be retrieved by the CData Excel Add-In.

Establish a Connection

If you have not already done so, create a new Basecamp connection by clicking From Basecamp on the ribbon.

Basecamp uses basic or OAuth 2.0 authentication. To use basic authentication you will need the user and password that you use for logging in to Basecamp. To authenticate to Basecamp via OAuth 2.0, you will need to obtain the OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL connection properties by registering an app with Basecamp.

See the Getting Started section in the help documentation for a connection guide.

Additionally, you will need to specify the AccountId connection property. This can be copied from the URL after you log in.

Retrieve Data from Basecamp

To insert data into Basecamp, you will first need to retrieve data from the Basecamp table you want to add to. This links the Excel spreadsheet to the Basecamp table selected: After you retrieve data, any changes you make to the data are highlighted in red.

1. Click the From Basecamp button on the CData ribbon. The Data Selection wizard is displayed.
2. In the Table or View menu, select the Projects table.
3. In the Maximum Rows menu, select the number of rows you want to retrieve. If you want to insert rows, you need to retrieve only one row. The Query box will then display the SQL query that corresponds to your request.
4. In the Sheet Name box, enter the name for the sheet that will be populated. By default the add-in will create a new sheet with the name of the table.

Insert Rows to Basecamp

After retrieving data, you can add data from an existing spreadsheet in Excel.

1. In a cell after the last row, enter a formula referencing the corresponding cell from the other spreadsheet; for example, =MyProjectsSheetInExcel!A1.
2. After using a formula to reference the cells you want to add to Basecamp, select the cells that you are inserting data into and drag the formula down as far as needed. The referenced values you want to add will be displayed on the Projects sheet.
3. Highlight the rows you want to insert and click the Update Rows button.

As each row is inserted, the Id value will appear in the Id column and the row's text will change to black, indicating that the record has been inserted.