[Bug] Excel Reader with array references produce 0 instead of missing

Hi there,

some time ago the Excel Sheets reader had a problem with array references like:
={A:A}

where only the first row had values. The tables looked like so:

Now this seems to have been partially fixed as values are present but empty values are imported as β€œ0”:

Here is a workflow which replicates the issue:

Installed extensions

KNIME Amazon Cloud Connectors 4.2.0.v202006171540 org.knime.features.cloud.aws.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Analytics Platform 4.2.3.v202011031551 org.knime.desktop.product null
KNIME BigQuery 4.2.0.v202007101231 org.knime.features.database.extensions.bigquery.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Connectors for Common Databases 4.2.0.v202006221532 org.knime.features.dbdrivers.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Database 4.2.1.v202008251536 org.knime.features.database.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Ensemble Learning Wrappers 4.2.0.v202004061016 org.knime.features.ensembles.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Excel Support 4.2.1.v202008251158 org.knime.features.ext.poi.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Expressions 4.2.2.v202009241054 org.knime.features.expressions.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Extension providing the Chromium Browser 83.0.4103.116 org.knime.features.ext.chromium.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME File Handling Testing Framework 4.2.3.v202011021201 org.knime.features.filehandling.core.testing.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Google Cloud Storage Connection 4.2.2.v202009241054 org.knime.features.google.cloud.storage.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Google Connectors 4.2.2.v202009241054 org.knime.features.google.api.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Image Processing 1.8.3.202010230604 org.knime.knip.feature.feature.group University of Konstanz / KNIME
KNIME JavaScript Views 4.2.3.v202011021201 org.knime.features.js.views.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Javasnippet 4.2.0.v202006150933 org.knime.features.javasnippet.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME JSON-Processing 4.2.1.v202008251158 org.knime.features.json.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Math Expression (JEP) 4.2.2.v202009241054 org.knime.features.ext.jep.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Personal Productivity Tools 4.2.0.v202001210919 org.knime.features.personalproductivity.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Plotly 4.2.0.v202006071334 org.knime.features.js.plotly.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Public Server Access 4.2.3.v202011021202 com.knime.features.enterprise.client.exampleserver.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Quick Forms 4.2.3.v202011021201 org.knime.features.js.quickforms.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME REST Client Extension 4.2.0.v202006301416 org.knime.features.rest.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME ServerSpace 4.11.3.v202011021202 com.knime.features.explorer.serverspace.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Statistics Nodes 4.2.0.v202008251159 org.knime.features.stats.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME SVG Support 4.2.2.v202009241055 org.knime.features.ext.svg.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Testing Framework 4.2.0.v202006171549 org.knime.features.testing.core.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Testing Framework - JavaScript support 4.2.1.v202008251343 org.knime.features.testing.js.feature.group null
KNIME Testing Framework UI 4.2.1.v202008251158 org.knime.features.testing.application.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Timeseries nodes 4.2.0.v202003271454 org.knime.features.timeseries.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME Virtual Nodes 4.2.0.v202004271350 org.knime.features.virtual.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
KNIME XML-Processing 4.2.1.v202008251159 org.knime.features.xml.feature.group KNIME AG, Zurich, Switzerland
Lhasa public plugin 1.1.500.v202007031132 org.lhasalimited.knime.public.feature.feature.group Lhasa Limited (http://www.lhasalimited.org)
Palladian for KNIME 2.3.0.202009251618 ws.palladian.nodes.feature.feature.group palladian.ws; Philipp Katz, Klemens Muthmann, David Urbansky
Vernalis KNIME Nodes 1.27.2.v202010191232 com.vernalis.knime.feature.feature.group Vernalis Research Ltd, Cambridge, UK

The System Config I could not attach as the forum threw a 502. Possibly too much data. I am using macOS Catalina 10.15.7 with most recent version of Knime.

Best
Mike

2 Likes

From what I see the 0 (zeros) are already there in the Excel file.

macOS 11.0.1 (20B29)
KNIME 4.2.3

1 Like

Hi @mw,

I was able to reproduce it, thanks for reporting this. It is actually an issue of the underlying library (Apache POI). However, as we are currently revising the Excel reader node and also updating the version of the library, we will hopefully be able to fix the issue. I will let you know in this thread as soon as there are news.

Best,
Simon

3 Likes

@mlauber71,
I actually can see the zeros in Excel as well, that’s weird. I tried with Google Sheets and LibreOffice, both are showing blank cells which makes more sense I would say. The new version of apache poi also does not return zeros anymore, so this seems to be the correct behavior for me.

Thanks all for your feedback. Looking forward to see that little annoying bug get fixed. Enjoy your weekend!

Hey @mw,

the bug should be fixed in the new Excel Reader in version 4.3. Thanks for your feedback!

Best,
Simon

2 Likes

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