How Oda works in your workbook

DataMind Oda works on the workbook that is open in Excel. This page covers what Oda can read and change in the workbook, the limits it works within, and the formulas it never writes. When Oda asks before a change is set by your permission mode; see Permission modes and approvals in Excel. To bring a Mind's answer into a sheet, see Ask about data and pull it into Excel.

What Oda can see in your workbook

When work starts, Oda first looks at the shape of the workbook to find where the data is: the sheets and the ranges they use, the tables, the sheet you are on, and the cells you have selected.

It reads cell values only when a step needs them. Reading never asks for your approval.

Reading cells

Oda reads a range by its address, such as A1:D20, whole columns such as A:C or a row such as 1:1, on the sheet you are on or on a named sheet. A read brings back the values, and the formulas as well where cells hold them.

Oda reads only the part of the range that falls inside the area of the sheet that holds data, so naming whole columns does not read a million empty rows.
One read covers at most 2,000 cells. A larger area comes back with its first rows and columns, and the step row shows how much of it was read.
Text longer than 1,000 characters in one cell is cut, and one read brings back at most 40,000 characters of cell text.

Writing cells

Oda writes a rectangular grid of values starting at one top-left cell. A value whose text starts with = becomes a formula in the cell, and an empty value clears the cell. One write covers at most 50,000 cells.

Whether Oda asks first depends on your permission mode and on whether the cells already hold data; see Permission modes and approvals in Excel.
If the cells change while an approval card waits for your answer, nothing is written, and the step row reads The cells changed while Oda waited for your approval, so nothing was written.
While you are editing a cell or Excel is busy, Oda waits and tries again for a short while. If you are still editing, the step row reads Excel is waiting for you to finish editing a cell. Press Enter or Esc, then try again.

Formulas Oda does not write

Oda refuses any formula that can reach outside the workbook: send its data over the internet, run another program or code, or read files on your computer or network. The refusal applies in every permission mode, including Skip all permissions, and nothing is written for that step. The step row reads Oda does not write formulas that can reach outside the workbook., and Details names the cell and the reason.

Refused	Why
Functions that reach the web or data feeds, such as `WEBSERVICE`, `FILTERXML`, `IMAGE`, `HYPERLINK`, `STOCKHISTORY` and `STOCKSERIES`	They can send workbook data out of Excel or load content from the internet. A link goes into a cell as plain text instead.
Functions that reach other programs, add-ins or code, such as `RTD`, `CALL`, `REGISTER.ID`, `EVALUATE` and the cube functions such as `CUBEVALUE`	They can run code or pull data from outside the workbook.
AI and translation functions: `COPILOT`, `TRANSLATE` and `DETECTLANGUAGE`	They send cell contents to a service outside the workbook.
`INDIRECT`	It builds references from text, which can reach other workbooks. Oda uses `INDEX`, `CHOOSE` or `XLOOKUP` instead.
`INFO`, and `CELL` with an info type such as `"filename"`	They reveal details of your computer, such as your folders. `CELL` with an info type that describes the cell itself, such as `"address"`, `"contents"` or `"row"`, is allowed.
The DDE operator, a vertical bar between a program name and a topic	It calls another program.
References to other workbooks, such as `[Budget.xlsx]Sales!A1`, a file path or a web address	They read files outside this workbook.
References to a sheet name the workbook does not have	Excel reads such a name as another workbook.

The check also catches a refused function passed to another function as a value. Text in quotes, sheet names and table and column names never count as a function.

Creating a table

Oda can turn a range into a formatted Excel table. The table gets filters and banded rows, and its name can be used in structured references such as =SUM(Sales[Amount]).

The first row of the range is treated as column names by default. Excel needs a table's column names to be distinct text, so it turns number or formula headers into plain text names and renames repeated ones; the approval card lists those header cells.
A range without column names gets a new header row: Excel adds it above the data and moves the data down one row.
A table name uses letters, digits and underscores only, and starts with a letter.

What Oda cannot do in the workbook

Oda's workbook tools only read cells, write values and create tables. There is no tool that runs code, and text in a cell can never become a script. Everything it does with the workbook goes through the operations described on this page.

Questions, answered

Can Oda see everything in my workbook?

It looks first at the shape of the workbook to find where the data is: the sheets and the ranges they use, the tables, the sheet you are on and the cells you have selected. It reads cell values only when a step needs them.

How many cells can Oda read at once?

At most 2,000. A larger area comes back with its first rows and columns, and the step row shows how much was read. Text over 1,000 characters in a cell is cut.

Why did Oda read fewer cells than the range I named?

Oda reads only the part of a range that falls inside the area of the sheet that holds data. Naming A:C reads the filled rows of those columns, not the whole sheet.

How many cells can Oda write at once?

At most 50,000 cells per write.

Does Oda see my formulas or only the values?

Both. A read brings back the values, and the formulas as well where cells hold them.

What happens if a value starts with =?

It becomes a formula in the cell, unless it calls a function Oda refuses to write.

Why did Oda refuse to write a formula?

The formula could reach outside the workbook: a function such as WEBSERVICE, HYPERLINK, INDIRECT or RTD, the DDE operator, or a reference to another workbook. The step row reads Oda does not write formulas that can reach outside the workbook., and Details names the cell and the reason. Ask for the values themselves, or for a formula that uses other functions.

Can Oda put a clickable link in a cell?

No. HYPERLINK is one of the functions Oda refuses, so a link goes into the cell as plain text.

What happens to my data when Oda makes a table without column names?

Excel adds a header row above the data and moves the data down one row. Because this moves your cells, Oda asks first unless you chose Skip all permissions.

Why does Oda say Excel is waiting for me to finish editing a cell?

You are typing in a cell, and Excel does not accept changes from add-ins until you finish. Press Enter or Esc, then ask Oda to try again.

Can Oda run code or macros from my workbook?

No. Oda's workbook tools only read cells, write values and create tables, and text in a cell can never become a script.