import Excel file

import Excel file

[Tanker]

Hi,

I want to import data from an ms exel file in my program. Can someone give
me a hint how I can realize that. I already tried to read the exel file as a
text_io and sequential_Io file but it's not possible as Text_IO 'cause it
must be a sequential_IO (or direct_IO) file. The problem with the
sequential_IO is, that i can't figure out how the form and substance of the
file looks like (is it a record, what kind of record(contents)?)

Thanx in advance
Flo

Re: import Excel file

[Georg Bauhaus]

Tanker <Tanker93@hotmail.com> wrote:
: Hi,
: 
: I want to import data from an ms exel file in my program. Can someone give
: me a hint how I can realize that. I already tried to read the exel file as a
: text_io and sequential_Io file but it's not possible as Text_IO 'cause it
: must be a sequential_IO (or direct_IO) file. The problem with the
: sequential_IO is, that i can't figure out how the form and substance of the
: file looks like (is it a record, what kind of record(contents)?)

Just reading in an Excel file isn't probably promising, because
it is not a text file. The structure of the binary data isn't
usually known. However, you could try exporting sheets to CSVs,
and read these with less effort.

Re: import Excel file

[tmoran]

>it is not a text file. The structure of the binary data isn't
>usually known. However, you could try exporting sheets to CSVs,
>and read these with less effort.
  Just run Excel and look at all the different choices for exporting
data.  With simple numbers, Comma Separated Values is simple, but
it gets a little nastier with text, especially text with commas and
quotes.  Or you can read the data by using an Ada database binding
and using the Excel data as a database source.  There's also SYLK
files, which are text and contain the formulas and formats as well
as the data.

Re: import Excel file

[Tanker]

That was my first idea too, but the guy who I'm writing the program for,
thinks that is a good thing to import an excel file directly without the
step of making an csv file. A friend told me today, that there must be a ms
tool for C++ (Ms Visual C++) that can sort out the relevant information from
the excel file. I could bind the C++ code in my ada programm and use the
excel infos.
If it's too difficult to do, I will convince him that it must work with the
cvs transformation.

Thanks for your help!!!

"Georg Bauhaus" <sb463ba@l1-hrz.uni-duisburg.de> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:caknnm$kvt$3@a1-hrz.uni-duisburg.de...
> Tanker <Tanker93@hotmail.com> wrote:
> : Hi,
> :
> : I want to import data from an ms exel file in my program. Can someone
give
> : me a hint how I can realize that. I already tried to read the exel file
as a
> : text_io and sequential_Io file but it's not possible as Text_IO 'cause
it
> : must be a sequential_IO (or direct_IO) file. The problem with the
> : sequential_IO is, that i can't figure out how the form and substance of
the
> : file looks like (is it a record, what kind of record(contents)?)
>
> Just reading in an Excel file isn't probably promising, because
> it is not a text file. The structure of the binary data isn't
> usually known. However, you could try exporting sheets to CSVs,
> and read these with less effort.

Re: import Excel file

[Björn Persson]

Georg Bauhaus wrote:

> Just reading in an Excel file isn't probably promising, because
> it is not a text file. The structure of the binary data isn't
> usually known.

At least Microsoft tries to keep it secret. The Openoffice developers 
seem to have figured it out fairly well, so there's always the 
possibility of looking at their code. It's probably very hairy.

> However, you could try exporting sheets to CSVs,
> and read these with less effort.

Personally I'd prefer TSV (tab-separated) if Excel can produce that.

-- 
Björn Persson

jor ers @sv ge.
b n_p son eri nu

Re: import Excel file

[Jeff C,]

"Tanker" <Tanker93@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:cakq5f$cot$05$1@news.t-online.com...
> That was my first idea too, but the guy who I'm writing the program for,
> thinks that is a good thing to import an excel file directly without the
> step of making an csv file. A friend told me today, that there must be a
ms
> tool for C++ (Ms Visual C++) that can sort out the relevant information
from
> the excel file. I could bind the C++ code in my ada programm and use the
> excel infos.
> If it's too difficult to do, I will convince him that it must work with
the
> cvs transformation.
>

There is already a tool that does it quite well. It is called Excel :)

Seriously, excel (at least older version) could be accessed via COM
libraries. You can auto create
bindings to the excel COM libraries pretty easily using GNATCOM

http://www.adapower.com/gnatcom/index.html

For some things it is really easy to use the COM interface. For others...not
so easy.

Not sure where excel falls.

Re: import Excel file

[Martin Krischik]

Tanker wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I want to import data from an ms exel file in my program. Can someone give
> me a hint how I can realize that. I already tried to read the exel file as
> a text_io and sequential_Io file but it's not possible as Text_IO 'cause
> it must be a sequential_IO (or direct_IO) file. The problem with the
> sequential_IO is, that i can't figure out how the form and substance of
> the file looks like (is it a record, what kind of record(contents)?)

I take it that you have some documentation on the format of excel and that
you are willing to take the effort of reading a binary file.

Since the excel format containts loot of different data the answer are
streams. Ada streams are the File IO to read different types.

An integer is read by:

A : Integer := Integer'Input (My_Stream);

Integer'Read (My_Stream, A);

A X Character String by:

type X_String is new string (1 .. X)

X : X_String := X_String'Input (My_Stream);

X_String'Read (My_Stream, X);

Beware: There is a important difference between 'Read and 'Input: 'Read is
more low level and 'Input more high level. i.E. String'Input expect the
length of the string to be part of the input data - String'Read does not.

However, in the example I have given I used X_String of the defined length X
- since the length is known X_String'Read and X_String'Input should work
the same.

With Regads

Martin

-- 
mailto://krischik@users.sourceforge.net
http://www.ada.krischik.com

Re: import Excel file

[Pascal Obry]

"Jeff C," <jcreem@yahoo.com> writes:

> Seriously, excel (at least older version) could be accessed via COM
> libraries. You can auto create
> bindings to the excel COM libraries pretty easily using GNATCOM

And via ODBC too.

Pascal.

-- 

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