What's New: Excel Services in SharePoint Server 2010
Applies to: SharePoint Server 2010
In this article
Excel Services ECMAScript (JavaScript, JScript)
Excel Services REST API
Enhancements to Excel Web Services
Excel Services was first introduced in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. Excel Services is a service application that enables you to load, calculate, and display Microsoft Excel workbooks on Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010.
In Office SharePoint Server 2007, there are two primary interfaces for Excel Services:
An Excel Web Access Web Part, which enables you to view and interact with a live workbook by using a browser
Excel Web Services for programmatic access
In addition, you can extend Excel Calculation Services by using user-defined functions (UDFs).
In SharePoint Server 2010, the following capabilities are added to Excel Services:
A ECMAScript (JavaScript, JScript) object model
A REST API
Additional methods and properties in Excel Web Services
Excel Services ECMAScript (JavaScript, JScript)
The JavaScript object model in Excel Services enables developers to automate, customize, and interact with the Excel Web Access Web Part control on a page. By using the JavaScript object model, you can build mashups and other integrated solutions that interact with one or more Excel Web Access Web Part controls on a page. Mashups enable you to combine functionality or data from multiple sources into a single, integrated service, application, or medium.
The JavaScript object model also enables developers to add more capabilities to their workbooks and to code around them.
For more information about the JavaScript object model, see Excel Services ECMAScript (JavaScript, JScript).
Excel Services REST API
The REST API in Excel Services enables operations against Excel workbooks by using operations specified in the HTTP standard. This enables a flexible, secure, and simpler mechanism to access and manipulate Excel Services content.
Using the REST API, you can access workbook parts or elements directly through a URL. The discovery mechanisms built into the Excel Services REST API also enable developers and users to explore the content of a workbook manually or programmatically, by supplying Atom feeds that contain information about the elements that reside in a specific workbook. The resources that you can access in this version through the REST API are ranges, charts, tables, and PivotTables.
Using the Atom feed provided by the REST API is an easier way of getting to the data that you care about. An Atom feed contains traversable elements that enable any piece of code to discover what elements exist in a workbook.
For more information about the REST API in Excel Services, see Excel Services REST API Overview and Basic URI Structure and Path.
Enhancements to Excel Web Services
Excel Web Services is expanded and enhanced in SharePoint Server 2010. In SharePoint Server 2010, you can edit and save a workbook programmatically. In addition, the Excel Web Services supports opening workbooks in edit sessions in SharePoint Server 2010. In this scenario, you can use code to edit a workbook.
For details about the APIs added to Excel Web Services, see What's New in Excel Web Services.
For more information about Excel Web Services, see Excel Web Services.
See Also
Concepts
Excel Services Development Roadmap