Exporting data

Uses of export

Sometimes you need data outside the system: to recompute in a spreadsheet, to send to someone who does not work in Opero, or for a summary combined with other sources.

Export to Excel is available on every list in the system, regardless of whether it is a record list, a custom list, or a report. You do not need to look for a separate tool or ask the administrator.

Scope of the export

• You export what you see. If you narrowed the list with a filter, the export will cover the narrowed result, not everything. This is convenient: first set the filter, then export exactly that slice.
• An export is a snapshot of now. The file contains the data from the moment of export. Later changes in the system will not update in the downloaded file, so if the data is live, export again.
• Export does not change data in the system. It is only a read into a file; it deletes and moves nothing.

Example. You need a summary of contracts ending this quarter for the management. You filter the contract list by end date, export the narrowed result to a spreadsheet, and have a ready table to send, without retyping it by hand.

What to keep in mind

• Export takes data out of the system. A downloaded file is no longer subject to Opero's permissions, so treat it as carefully as the data it contains. Especially with personal or financial data, consider to whom and why you are sending it.
• You export within your access. The file will contain what you see in the system anyway, no more.
• For a repeatable summary a report is better. If you export the same thing every month and compute in a spreadsheet, tell the administrator. It can often be done once as a report you return to without exporting.