How to import data to Excel

Kumar Ashok · New User Joined: 20 Jan 2007 Posts: 29 Location: KOLKATA

Is there any method to import data to an excel sheet without any manual intervention.

Ashok

Devzee · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 12:56 pm Post subject:

Make the text file as CSV format, then the file should open in Excel automatically.

Kumar Ashok · New User Joined: 20 Jan 2007 Posts: 29 Location: KOLKATA

I am extremely sorry for the confusion, actually I meant that let us say an application produces an output file. Is there anyway to get the data of file in an excel sheet without any manual intervention?

application ---> Flat file ------> FTP to an excel sheet

stodolas · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 6:26 pm Post subject:

It won't be formatted for an excel sheet. But yes, excel can open a flat file.

Phrzby Phil · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 6:45 pm Post subject:

A .txt file with fixed length fields can also be imported via the Excel wizard. You must open the file from within Excel via the Open command - right-clicking and choosing "open with" will not work.

superk

All of this is only speculation, but:

It seems to me that you can prep the file to a .TXT or .CSV or .SLK format, than transfer it to the server with FTP. From there, I guess you'd have to run a script, probably written in Excel, that would automatically open the file and import it as required, or, there are probably tools available that can be used to perform the formatting automatically.

Seems like a lot of unecessary bother to me.

stodolas · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:12 pm Post subject:

Always seems like a bother to me too. But when the clients say this report needs to be produced in Excel so we can massage the data... what can you do.

The Excel script thing becomes a pain in the neck because you need to have the macro installed on everyones machine who will open the text file, the .CSV is the easiest route to go because Excel opens them pretty well. Albeit without the pretty formatting that someone may be looking for, like centered titles, borders, shading and all that.

Kumar Ashok · New User Joined: 20 Jan 2007 Posts: 29 Location: KOLKATA

Thanks a lot all for your suggetions. i can have a step ahead with the suggetions you gave.

superk

It seems to me that the time is ripe for someone to develop a universal text-to-xls converter utilty, or for MS to get off their butts and use XML as the standard input format for all their products.