Problem using : read from spreadsheet file

[User_1979]

Hi,

I have 2 problems using read from spreadsheet file :

1) when using .txt file I can only get the first column and not the second one (although I have chosen the correct output...)

2) It doesn't work at all when using my .xls file

I must be doing something wrong but can't find what....

Would anybody have an idea ?

I have attached the .VI and my two files.

Thanks

User

[DianeS]

In your "Read From Spreadsheet File", you have your delimiter set to "\s", meaning that the VI expects the delimiter between numbers to be a space.

Have you actually looked at the formatting of your text file?  Evidently not.  The delimiter in your text file is a tab...not a space. 

Delete the "\s" input to the VI (a tab delimiter is the default delimiter for "Read From Spreadsheet File") and it'll work fine.  I just did it, and sure enough, it works fine.

The reason that "Read From Spreadsheet" cannot read your .xls file is because a file created with Excel (that is, an .xls file) is a custom Microsoft format, and not a standard text file.  In order to read an .xls file directly, you'll have to use ActiveX.

Hope that helps.

d

Message Edited by DianeS on 02-14-2010 07:46 PM

[RavensFan]

It is a bit more to it than that.

I saw the tab vs. space delimiter problem.  I changed it to \t for a tab delimiter, but it still didn't work.

The reason?  The OP has the constant showing \t in Normal display which is a delimiter of backslash t.  It needs to show \t in \codes display to actually represent a tab.

[DianeS]

Yes.  Good catch.  Thanks!

The OP could also wire in a tab constant from the strings palette...I did that just for fun and that also works.

[User_1979]

Hi Diane and Ravens fan,

Thanks for your answers.

I have attached the VI that works fine with the .xls that is created and saved to with Labview when acquiring my data.

 I don't need this for my program but I would like to understand why is this : when creating a file with Excel it only works when the file is saved in .txt but not when saved as a excel file....

User 

[muks]

Native excel files are not supported by spreadsheet functions. You have to use a activex.

[DianeS · Accepted solution]

A native Excel file is NOT a text file.  It's a custom file format created by Microsoft.  That is why you have to use ActiveX to interact with it.

The "Spreadsheet" file functions found in LabVIEW work with text files (tab-delimited, CSV, etc.).  Text files are a more generic format which can be read by programs like Notepad.  Ever tried to use Notepad to open a .xls file?  It doesn't work.  Excel can open a text file because it's a generic format.

So, even though everyone automatically thinks "Excel" when they see the word "Spreadsheet", the two are not synonymous.  In LabVIEW's case, "Spreadsheet" refers to a delimited text file.

Does that make sense?