# How to read multiple excel files in one folder? **URL:** \ **Category:** KNIME Analytics Platform\ **Tags:** excel\ **Created:** [December 16, 2017, 2:04pm UTC](https://forum.knime.com/t/how-to-read-multiple-excel-files-in-one-folder/9775 "2017-12-16T14:04:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 25
**Author:** ![mlauber71](https://forum-cdn.knime.com/user_avatar/forum.knime.com/mlauber71/32/73590_2.png) [@mlauber71](https://forum.knime.com/u/mlauber71)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 9:52am UTC](https://forum.knime.com/t/how-to-read-multiple-excel-files-in-one-folder/9775/25 "2019-09-21T09:52:21Z")
You could have a look at this post it uses R package to import CSV files with very different structures. You would still have to decide what to do with them later. I think this example would be adapted to your needs with [readxl](https://readxl.tidyverse.org) package. And also it might help if you could provide an example most closely representing your problem (especially possible quirks that a solution must be able to overcome). > [@Merge csv files with different and same headers](https://forum.knime.com/t/merge-csv-files-with-different-and-same-headers/13271/4): > > Well well. I set up a workflow that hopefully does what you want. The CSV data really seems to be quite messy with funny column headers and stuff. For the “resultatspreliminaires (15).csv” I had to revert to my trusted [readr package from R](https://forum.knime.com/t/error-with-file-reader-node-while-running-in-a-loop/11263/3). I really would recommend investing in some useful data storage concepts - CSV is widespread but also unstable and messy. Why not use Parquet, or SQLite, or [ARFF](https://waikato.github.io/weka-wiki/arff/) - all supported by KNIME - but that is just me slight_smile The workflow assumes the first 6 co… > [@How to force column data type in "Excel Reader (XLS)" node?](https://forum.knime.com/t/how-to-force-column-data-type-in-excel-reader-xls-node/9088/8): > > that is actually a good idea slight_smile I built a workflow that uses your idea and does three imports of an Excel file, one all numeric, one all strings and one guess. For the numeric ones when it might actually be a String there will be a huge number of missings. I do a calculation of % missing and I set a variable (75%) if there are 75% or more missing and the guess suggests a String it is a string. Obviously if you have date variables you would have to do something different. Here the … --- _[View the full topic](https://forum.knime.com/t/how-to-read-multiple-excel-files-in-one-folder/9775)._