Hi there,
Just starting to evaluate KNIME, but one thing that has already come to light is the lack of MS Excel file reader or export function. I appreciate that you can set up a database reader to do this, but as a complete novice, this is beyond my capabilities. Have you any plans to develop a spreadsheet reader/export function?, if not how do I set up a database reader to read a .xls file?
Best regards,
Stanage.
Hi Stanage,
with the current release (1.2.0) the only way to interact with XL is via ASCII files and CSV. You would export the data from XL as CSV (or semicolon separated values) and use the File Reader node to read it in. Data generated with KNIME can be written with the CSV Writer node then and imported into XL.
The File Reader node may need some changes in its "Advanced..." settings Depending on your location the decimal separator could be different from the default "." (dot), which can be set in the "Decimal Separator" tab of the advanced settings. Also, XL sometimes forgets to create enough commas if a row contains empty cells at the end - so you may need to check the "allow short lines" in the "Short Lines" tab.
We are planning to let free a couple of new nodes soon, and this will include an XL Writer node (using the POI library of Apache's Jakarta POI project). But the XL Reader will probably not make it.
Hope that helps.
- Peter.
Hi Peter,
That sounds great. I know everyone asks this, but when do expect the next release?, as the ability to utilise XLS format is pretty universal, and is a common exchange format used.
Best regards,
stanage
Can I get a copy of the excel reader ?