Hi there, I'm new here because we have at work many problems with a new version of PIBook and DataLink.
I hope I can explain it good, because my english is not the best.

From the beginning: At work, we have a large excel file with many values of PIBook, this version works perfectly for years (with the old version of PIBook and DataLink), a few days ago we got a new version of PIBook and DataLink and now nothing will be show from PIBook in this Excel sheet.
The server is up and running and another Excel files with values work perfectly.
In this file we had the following formula "=PIcurrval("T123.lvl";0;"Rheinland").
But in the excel sheet, that don't work since the update, we had a formula that I don't understand or can do something with it.
There stand at all "=Wmm(Tnow, C2). I think mm stands for millimeters, because we had another formula with "=Wden..." that us show the density, "C2" is the cell where to get the first part of the tag.
We tried many things with the server, I tried many things with the formula "=PIcurrval" but nothing worked, so we want it.
For example: in the field "C2" we have a Tank "T123" and in "D2" we want, we can see the current level of this tank(This is easy "=PIcurrval("T123.lvl";0;"Rheinland") ), but the tanks are often switch and we want, that the level switch automatically with it, means when we change "C2" to "T145", "D2" with the level change too, after a reload.
I had tried various things like "=PIcurrval("$C$2:lvl";0;"Rheinland"), without the $ and instead of the : only a point, without the " and so on.

Is it possibly to make it with this or work it only with a macro in VBA? We don't have anything against a macro or a multi solution (macro and formula together), we only want that the excel sheet work. At work we have a support for PIBook, but they say "PIBook running and so this is not our problem." , that is why I hope you can help me(us).


With kind regards

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Thanks for your fast help.

I want to get the data from the PI Book server, because the values we need are over more than 5 PI Book display and thats for me now, more dificult because the various site in a formula and the tags that change. Sounds very dificult for me.

To 1.
We have tested the faulty and a working sheet on 2 different computers. Both are the same on the different computers, the faulty don't work and the working get all the data from the PI Book Server.
The faulty is connected with PIBook, because in the faulty sheet I used a cell and wrote in this cell, for testing the connection:"=PIcurrval("t123.lvl",1,"Rheinland"), and i get the level of the tank shown up. I think the problem is only the strange formula "=Wmm(Tnow,C2)".

With the "if function" I think it wouln't work, because we have for some products more than 2 tanks or I don't see the solution you mean. Many thanks to you caffreys_col you gave me a good idea with the Excel Help.

I think about my formula and had another idea, which I want to try at work. The formula is following: =PIcurrval(" C2 &.lvl";1;"Rheinland"). I don't know if this works, but it is for me with the help of the "Excel Help" the only choice.

Yes, for me it makes sense, but when the 2 cells in one formula, this is the best solution for me. My idea is following: Cell C2 = 145 and in C3 are the formula =PIcurrval("(c2,".lvl")";1;"Rheinland"), but there is the Problem, that Processbook don't know the tag or id. I want that PIbook don't give back the failure that this is not a tag or id. I think so, because I'm at the moment not at work, so I can't testing it.

If my first idea don't work, so I can add a colum, paste the formula that you wrote =concatenate(C2, ".lvl") and hide the column, so is there no blemish.

Yesterday I looked in the VB and there is only one macro that show if the level of a tank is falling or increasing and shows this with a "+" or a "-". But this macro works only with the level of the tank and get no data direct from PIBook. Wmm is not a part of another Excel Add-In because the only add-In we have is PIBook. Thats why it is strange for me.


I'm now enroute to work, so I can test all the solutions you posted. Thanks you very much. I will come back to you if it works or PIBook give back a failure.


Thank you.