Data logging using Excel

[Rashid-Malik]

I'm working on adding some improvements to a labview based project. One of the task is to replace tab-delimited files (created by the project) to true excel files. Software writes lots of data to various files. First it creates different files with headers then logs data to it elsewhere. I would appreciate all the help and ideas I can get. Should I close excel after writing each data item to it or should I leave it open and continue logging data to various files and close excel when the project quits? This should be done with excel in the background. There are two places in the project where I need to do this. 1- Where new files with headers are being created. 2- Where actual data logging is taking place. File name and directory location and data is supplied by the exixting code. Data is supplied in string format. How can I log data to existing Excel files using report writing vi's?

[Joe_H]

if you have the office toolkit you can use that. IF not then you will have to use Active X. There are some good tutorials on the forum on using this.
For more information and some sample VI's and tool kits, you can go to the excel board
you are better off using just tab delimited files like you are doing now. It is much less work and you do not have to worry about them having excel installed on the computer that is being used. Native LV is the best way to go.

[Rashid-Malik]

Office toolkit is great. I have got it. But the problem is that it does not allow us to manupulate existing excel files. It only allow us to create new ones (or is there a way to open existing files with it and write data to them).
I am reading your excel forum. Its filled with gems. I'll see if I can find something to help me out.
Thanks a lot for the reply, Jhoskins!

[Joe_H]

Sure you can open existing excel files. I'm not sure about with the toolkit but I know that you can do it with active X. There should be an example on the excel forum. If there is not I'll see if I can find one of my old files that does this.