To import data from most data sources:
•
•
•
Go to the Data
menu
Point to Import
External Data
Click Import Data
Note: If you are importing data
from an external data source click
on Connect to new Data
Source.odc or New SQL Server
Connection.odc to bring up the
Data Connection Wizard and then
type in the details of your source
data.
Choose the data you
want to import and click
open
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Choose whether to put the data in the existing worksheet or a new one and click OK.
The data may take a few seconds to appear in your spreadsheet.
Refresh Imported Data
To refresh imported data if the external data is refreshed.
1.
2.
On the External Data toolbar, click Refresh Data . You'll see a security
message asking if you trust the source of this file. Click OK.
In the Import Text File dialog box, select the text file, and then click Import.
Import Text Files / raw (unprocessed) information:
If you don’t need to update the imported data later on, use the File menu method:
•
With Excel open click the File menu
and select Open
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•
Navigate to the location
where your raw data is
saved and open it.
•
Change the Files of type
drop down to Text Files
(*.prn, *txt, *.csv).
•
In the Look in list navigate to the folder containing the file you want to import.
If you don’t see your file in the list. Select All Files in the Files of type list.
•
Select the file you want to import and click Open
Notes:
• If you open a comma-delimited file (which typically has a .csv extension) using the File menu,
the file will open directly in Excel instead of opening in the Text Import Wizard.
• If you want to be able to update the imported data later on if the imported data changes use
the Data menu method. (Using this method, comma delimited files will open in the Text
Import Wizard).
• If you import a comma-delimited file using the File menu, it opens directly into Excel insted of
using the wizard.
The Text Import Wizard will now appear
Step 1
•
Make sure delimited is
selected
Note: Start import at row
lets you start the import
at a row other than row 1
•
Click Next
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Step 2
The Text Import Wizard allows you to choose settings to match the layout of the
raw data you are importing.
Note:
Excel uses delimiters to break
the information into columns.
Delimiters represent the
characters that are most
commonly used for
separating fields in a text file,
for example your fields may
be separated by tabs,
semicolons, commas, spaces
or other symbol.
As the layout of data in this example is separated by commas, when Comma is set
as the delimiter the information is placed into columns accordingly.
Notes:
If your data is separated by a different
character, for example the dash, you can
type a dash in the Other box. Your data
will then be arranged into columns
according to the dashes in your
information.
The Treat consecutive delimiters as one
option can be used where more than a
single delimiter character has been used
between fields. For example, if Tab
characters have been used to line up the
columns in a text file, then there may be
several Tab characters between one field
and the next.
The Data preview box shows how
your information will look in Excel.
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Step 3
The final step allows you to specify formats for each column.
It is generally
OK to leave
everything as
the General type
as it is easier to
change the cell
formatting
afterwards.
Click Finish
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