New tool links online files to Excel applications

Web spreadsheet EditGrid has introduced a new feature that works as an Excel Add-in linking online files to Excel applications running on your computer.

With EditGrid, you can pull information directly from the Internet into your spreadsheets. For example, according to a Webware report, if you want your online spreadsheet to display the current stock price of a company, or maybe its site's Alexa rank, you can now easily code that into your formulas. Other functions give you data from the CIA World Factbook (natural gas reserves in Thailand, anyone?), baseball stats via Strikeiron, TechCrunch's Crunchbase company database, and so on.

Once the add-in is installed, worksheets created using EditGrid can be opened in Excel and saved back to the online data store. Within Microsoft's desktop application you can subscribe to online EditGrid sheets and get instant updates when the workbook changes.

According to the developer, the Excel add-in allows you to by-pass the cumbersome traditional uploading process and allows you to distribute your spreadsheets electronically using EditGrid's online publishing features.

EditGrid Excel Plus is available in a 30-day free beta test version, and will cost $5 a user per month thereafter. A corporate version is also available. EditGrid Excel Plus currently supports Microsoft Excel 2003 only. We intend to support Microsoft Excel 2007 once further testing is completed.