BUG: "Invalid Excel File Format" with IMPORT Command (110411)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS 2.0
- Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS 2.5
- Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS 2.5a
- Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS 2.5b
- Microsoft FoxPro for Windows 2.5
- Microsoft FoxPro for Windows 2.5a
- Microsoft FoxPro for Windows 2.5b
- Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh 2.5b
This article was previously published under Q110411 SYMPTOMS
You receive the "Invalid Excel File Format" error message when you are
importing a Microsoft Excel version 5.0 file into FoxPro.
NOTE: In FoxPro 2.0 for MS-DOS, you will get the error message "Invalid
Excel version 2.0 file" when you are importing worksheets in Microsoft
Excel 3.0, 4.0, or 5.0 file format.
CAUSE
With each release of Microsoft Excel, the file format that Microsoft Excel
uses has changed. FoxPro 2.0 can import only Microsoft Excel 2.0 files.
FoxPro 2.5 for MS-DOS, Windows, and the Macintosh can import files in the
Microsoft Excel 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 formats.
Microsoft Excel 5.0 was not released until after FoxPro 2.5 for MS-DOS and
Windows were developed. FoxPro for Macintosh was developed at approximately
the same time as Microsoft Excel 5.0 for Windows. Therefore, support for
importing Microsoft Excel 5.0 format files was not built into FoxPro 2.5
for any platform.
RESOLUTION
There are some workarounds to directly importing a Microsoft Excel 5.0
worksheet, all of which must be performed in Microsoft Excel. Two of these
workarounds are:
- Save the Microsoft Excel 5.0 file as a Microsoft Excel 4.0, 3.0, or 2.0
format file. (IMPORTANT: Make sure you give the file a new name before
you save it.) Then import this file with the IMPORT FROM <file> TYPE XLS
command.
-or-
- Save the Microsoft Excel 5.0 file as a DBF format file. (IMPORTANT: Make
sure you give the file a new name before you save it.) All versions of
Microsoft Excel can save files in the DBF3 file format; in addition,
Microsoft Excel 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0 can save files in the DBF4 file
format. FoxPro can open either of these two file formats.
IMPORTANT: In versions of Microsoft Excel prior to 5.0, the database
range must be defined in Microsoft Excel before the file is saved in one
of the DBF formats. Data outside the database range will NOT be saved to
the DBF format file.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products
listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem
and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it
becomes available.
REFERENCES
FoxPro for MS-DOS and Windows "Language Reference," version 2.5, pages
L3-569 and L3-570
FoxPro for Macintosh "Language Reference," version 2.5, pages 468-469
Microsoft Excel "User's Guide 1," version 4.0, pages 60, 306, and 307
Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 12/3/2003 |
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Keywords: | KB110411 |
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