Spreadsheets - Excel - Advanced
Importing Objects
spreadsheet: image files, graphs, text files etc.
Why Import Data?The following Text Formats are the most common: Excel as we have already seen is capable of carrying out analysis of data, and producing graphical representations of the same.If the information you have is in a Word/Text Processor in the form of a report it would need to be in a format that Excel can recognize in order to be imported into the spreadsheet, rather than re-entered (typed). What happens if the text to be imported is not in a recognized format?If the text to be imported is not in a recognized format Excel will automatically launch the Text Wizard to give you assistance.
Text Text files are plain text with no formatting information contained
except line returns. It is usual for this file type to have one record
of information per line but the means of identifying fields varies.
Text (Tab Delimited) In this text file format tabs are used to define
fields.
Formatted Text Formatted text files make use of position to define fields,
each field starts at a defined position on the line.You may find this
field type also referred to as Space Delimited, Fixed Width, and Column
Delimited.
CSV (Comma Separated Values) Commas are used by CSV text files to delimit
(separate) fields. Whilst these are called Comma Separated Values text
files, commas do not have to be the delimiter.Comma delimited fields
can make use of the vertical bar ( | ) and the at ( @ ) sign as the
delimiter.
The Text Wizard The Text Wizard is a set of dialog boxes that guide you, the user, through the stages of importing text into an Excel spreadsheet.
To import text into Excel using the Text Wizard · Open the File
menu and select the Open option.· Click on the down arrow next
to the Files of type field and select Text Files.· Highlight
and choose the file you wish to open and select Open.· You will
see the Text Import Wizard (Step 1 of 3) dialog box, as illustrated.
The dialog box has two effective areas, the upper referring to choices
you can make, the lower showing the data you are about to import. The
wizard takes an educated look at your source data and the original file
format and determines whether it is delimited or not. You can choose
to alter this decision if you wish.
· Having made your choices click Next and the Text Import Wizard
(Step 2 of 3) dialog box is displayed. The upper half of this box allows
you to select the required field delimiter. The default is Tab. ·
Make the appropriate choice(s) as more than one can be selected.
· When you have chosen your delimiter the data display in the
lower half of the dialog box shows the effect. · When this is
as you want click Next.
· The Text Import Wizard (Step 3 of 3) dialog box is displayed.
You now select the data format for each of the columns. You can also
decide whether you wish to import a column or not.· When you
have made your decisions click on the Finish button to import the text
into your spreadsheet.
To import a picture into a worksheet · Click on the Insert drop down menu and select Picture.· Choose the From File option from the sub-menu. The Import Picture dialog box will be displayed.· Select the picture you wish to insert and click on the Insert button.
To copy a graph (chart) into a worksheet, from a different worksheet · If there is a chart contained within a different worksheet within your workbook, then you must first switch to the workbook that contains the chart (by clicking on the appropriate tab at the bottom of the workbook). Then click on that chart to select it, then press Ctrl+C to copy the chart to the Clipboard.· Switch back to the worksheet that you wish to insert the chart into and then press Ctrl+V to insert the chart.
To copy a graph (chart) into a worksheet, from a different workbook · If there is a chart contained within a worksheet, within an entirely different workbook, then you must first open the required workbook, and then if necessary, switch to the workbook that contains the chart that you wish to copy (by clicking on the appropriate tab at the bottom of the workbook). Then click on that chart to select it, then press Ctrl+C to copy the chart to the Clipboard.· Switch back to the original workbook, that you were working within, and if necessary change to the required worksheet that you wish to insert the chart into and then press Ctrl+V to insert the chart.