How to Use the RTD Function in Excel
Today, we’ll delve into the RTD function, an advanced feature in both Excel and Google Sheets. RTD stands for “Real-Time Data,” and it’s a valuable tool for fetching data from a server in real time. This function is particularly useful in areas such as financial modeling, stock tracking, and any situation where current data from external sources is required.
How RTD Works:
The RTD function retrieves data from a server that supports the COM (Component Object Model) interface. By utilizing this function, users can pull various types of data, including stock prices, currency exchange rates, and weather updates, directly into their spreadsheet. The retrieved data updates automatically whenever changes occur on the server.
Examples of Using RTD:
Consider a scenario where we need to display the current stock price of a specific company. The RTD function makes this possible in real time.
Example 1: Displaying Stock Price with RTD
| Company | Stock Price |
|---|---|
| Apple | =RTD(“MyServer.ProgID”,,”StockPrice”,”AAPL”) |
In this example, we utilize the RTD function to fetch the real-time stock price of Apple Inc. The function’s arguments include the server’s programmatic identifier (ProgID), along with topics specifying the type of data required—in this case, ‘StockPrice’ and ‘AAPL,’ the ticker symbol for Apple. This setup ensures that any changes in the stock price on the server are immediately reflected in the cell of your Excel or Google Sheets document.
Implementing RTD Function:
Before leveraging the RTD function, you must establish a server configured to handle COM requests and capable of returning data in the required format. After setting up the server, you can deploy the RTD function in your spreadsheet to obtain real-time data.
The general syntax for the RTD function is shown below:
=RTD(ProgID, Server, Topic1, Topic2, ...)- ProgID: The programmatic identifier of the server providing the real-time data.
- Server: An optional parameter that specifies the server instance to use. If omitted, the default instance is used.
- Topic1, Topic2, …: The topics specifying the types of data to retrieve from the server.
By mastering the RTD function in Excel and Google Sheets, you can greatly enhance your spreadsheets with dynamic, real-time data from external sources, making your data analyses more robust and timely.
More information: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/rtd-function-e0cc001a-56f0-470a-9b19-9455dc0eb593