Google Earth Community: How to use a Spreadsheet & GE

Spreadsheet used in this example.

If you don´t have a Spreadsheet at home, no problem, you can download the Open Office Suite or, better than that, you can use EditGrid which is an OnLine Spreadsheet.

Which is the advantage of using an on line soft? One of them is that you can share it with other people so you can make a colaborative work together. Other wonderful characteristic is that every cell is like a URL that you can point to. What does this mean? That you can use as you already learned in this tutorial, then get ALL the data in one cel and finally make a Network Link that points to that cel, so you can view the data in GE dynamically.

So, let´s do an example of this.
First you have to register to EditGrid. Then create a New Spreadsheet. In the Sheet2 of this new file paste some Data with Lat / Long info (of course...)
Ensure that those columns have the right format, like here:

Now, go to the Sheet1. There, we are going to input our KML Commands.
Choose one cel, let´s say A3, and type the code of the first lines of every kml, remember? Here is the text:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<kml xmlns="http://earth.google.com/kml/2.1">
<Folder>
<name>Name your Folder Here</name>

So we have this: (I leave the rest of the data...don´t worry..)

Now let´s put in A4 the code corresponding to the lasts lines of every kml:

Ok. You see that I´ve already put the rest of the code (those data at the right). You know how to do that. Make the same steps as here.

In the C1 cel you have to Concatenate the Sheet2 A1 cel. Look at the Formula line. , you see how EditGrid name each cel? Sheet2 ! A1
Don´t forget the Admiration sign (!)

When you have to merge the Lon / Lat in one cel use this characters:
Name of cel 1 , "," , Name of cel 2
A comma after each element:

Ok. Complete all the Row 3 with all the kml Commands and the Concatenated Data from Sheet2.
Here, also works the trick of selecting the first line (from B3 to N3 included), then putting the cursor over the square, at the right bottom angle of the selection, drag down till you reach the number of your last record (as we do the first time in this tutorial)...the code is generated...

After you do this, go to the O3 cel and concatenate the first row (B3 to N3), so we are mergin in that cel (O3) all the data corresponding to the first line (or Placemark): Use the : sign. In this way you are saying "Concatenate from B3 to N3 cel)

Extend that Formula (draging the corner) to the others lines till you reach the last one.

Then, in P2 cel we are going to Concatenate all the data we have generated in Column O. So, put the cursor in P2 cel and apply Concatenate with O3:O18 (in this case O18 has the last data of the O Column) :

Ok! Great! We have ALL the Placemark Data in one cel!!, but, wait! we are forgetting something important. Remember the Code Lines at the beginning and the 2 lines that goes at the end of the KML?, We have to add this 2 parts to our "all in one cel"

So, choose Q2 cel, put the cursor there and apply the Concatenate formula with this data:
A3 (where the first part of the kml is)
P2 ( where all the Placemark data is) and
A4 (where the last lines of the kml are)

In this case we use the ( , ) commas to separete the cel names.

Ok, we have ALL the data we need to make our KML in one cel!

In this case the Q2 cel.

But, how can I make a Network Link and use this KML? ....
Very easy...
Go to GE, make a new Network Link and in the Link line paste the URL of your EditGrid page, then a / and then the name of the cel where you have merged all the data (in my case, the Q2 cel) so the result is like this:

I´m attaching this example NL here if you want to see it.
Also here is the EditGrid page of this example.

Hope all this would be useful for you. I leave the rest of the possibilities to your imagination....