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#1
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Converting excel to text file - Issue with wrapping text
Hi,
I want to convert an excel file to a .prn file. Here I need to retain the column width of all the columns in the excel as it is. I could do that by changing the autoformat to None. But the issue is when i try to save it as .prn file, it wraps up the text in the .prn file. the maximum length it goes without wrapping in the notepad is 236 character size. I am not really sure how to convert it to a .prn file retain column width without the wrapping in the text file. any suggestions would be highly appreciated. Thanks, Giri --- Message posted from http://www.ExcelForum.com/ |
#2
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How do you convert an excel file to a .prn file? Do you mean you select
Print to file when you use the Print command? I did that but I can't tell whether it's a .prn file; I don't see the .prn extension, even from a DOS view. Also, when I print to file from Excel, I can't open that file with Notepad. What about saving as a text file via Save As | Text? I just saved a Excel sheet with a string of 398 characters in one cell. Then, I opened it in Notepad. It displays as one line. Of course, Word Wrap, under Format in Notepad, is disabled. --- Message posted from http://www.ExcelForum.com/ |
#3
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actually if you open an excel file and then do a
"SAVE AS " and give the file type as "FORMATTED TEXT (SPACE DELIMITED" , it would save it as a .PRN file. secondly i am not trying to save a 309 character from a single cell. wat i am trying to do is something like this. col1 (50chars ) col2 say(50) col3 ................. then i want the same spacings to be maintained in the notepad too. It starts giving this wrapping issue when the size of columsn together exceed 236 in the excel. In the notepad the wordwrap is disabled. Hope this explains my problem. --- Message posted from http://www.ExcelForum.com/ |
#4
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I understand how a .prn file is created now. I tried to duplicate what
you're doing and I also find that Notepad limits the number of characters it will allow to be displayed on one line. However, as I mentioned in my previous post, saving the file as Text (Tab delimited) does create a file for which Notepad will display longer lines. So, the only thing I can suggest is to try using a different file format, something other than .prn. --- Message posted from http://www.ExcelForum.com/ |
#5
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well
as you said the trying other than .prn would help get it in a single line. But it would defeat the original purpose i.e., to retain the column lengths as defined in excel. If i use tab delimited type, the original column spacing is not reflected in the text file being created. Since this is to be used for input of a program load, the spacing has to be retained in the text file. If you would know of any other format which if i use while saving the excel with "SAVE AS " would allow the column width to be retained and still store in single line without wrapping, please let me know. --- Message posted from http://www.ExcelForum.com/ |
#6
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Are you sure the program to which you want to load this data cannot be
configured to recognize some other format such as .csv? If not, I think you might neet to use a different text editor. For example, here's one from a Google search on text editors. See http://www.textpad.com/. The specifications page says, " a.. The 32-bit edition can handle file sizes up to the limits of virtual memory. The 16-bit edition is limited to files of up to 32,500 lines, with a maximum line length of 4096 bytes." Also, you could probably find a freeware text editor that might serve your purpose. "giridar " wrote in message ... well as you said the trying other than .prn would help get it in a single line. But it would defeat the original purpose i.e., to retain the column lengths as defined in excel. If i use tab delimited type, the original column spacing is not reflected in the text file being created. Since this is to be used for input of a program load, the spacing has to be retained in the text file. If you would know of any other format which if i use while saving the excel with "SAVE AS " would allow the column width to be retained and still store in single line without wrapping, please let me know. --- Message posted from http://www.ExcelForum.com/ |
#7
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There are limitations with saving as a .prn file (especially 240 characters per
line). If you try it and it doesn't quite work: You have a few choices (try against a copy of your worksheet): I'd either concatenate the cell values into another column: =LEFT(A1&REPT(" ",5),5) & LEFT(B1&REPT(" ",4),4) & TEXT(C1,"000,000.00") (You'll have to modify it to match what you want.) Then I'd copy and paste to notepad and save from there. Once I figured out that ugly formula, I kept it and just unhide that column when I wanted to export the data. If that doesn't work for you, maybe you could do it with a macro. Here's a link that provides a macro: http://google.com/groups?threadm=015...0a% 40phx.gbl ======= And in win98's version of notepad, I could get at least 1025 characters per line before it wrapped (automatically). But that was just a display problem. I saved the file, reopened in a nicer text editor (UltraEdit) and saw my line at 2500 characters with no line wrapping. "giridar " wrote: Hi, I want to convert an excel file to a .prn file. Here I need to retain the column width of all the columns in the excel as it is. I could do that by changing the autoformat to None. But the issue is when i try to save it as .prn file, it wraps up the text in the .prn file. the maximum length it goes without wrapping in the notepad is 236 character size. I am not really sure how to convert it to a .prn file retain column width without the wrapping in the text file. any suggestions would be highly appreciated. Thanks, Giri --- Message posted from http://www.ExcelForum.com/ -- Dave Peterson |
#8
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Hi,
You need to set your paper size in the printer setup to be wider for the Generic/Text Only printer. This is because Excel is drawing each character to the device context of the printer, and when it detects it has reached the right margin, it wraps the line. Using a larger paper size and/or using landscape mode will increase the number of characters that will fit on a line. Some programs just have the effect of cutting the line off at the right margin because they assume the line will fit. You may also try using a smaller font size so that each character escapes less when the app is drawing to the device context. A device context is an in-memory drawing surface, like a sheet of paper with a coordinate system based on the resolution of the device, that a program uses to draw to either a bitmap, screen, or printer. Automate "print to file" with Virtual Port Monitor http://www.alphatronics.com/AVPMon.html Greg giridar wrote in message ... Hi, I want to convert an excel file to a .prn file. Here I need to retain the column width of all the columns in the excel as it is. I could do that by changing the autoformat to None. But the issue is when i try to save it as .prn file, it wraps up the text in the .prn file. the maximum length it goes without wrapping in the notepad is 236 character size. I am not really sure how to convert it to a .prn file retain column width without the wrapping in the text file. any suggestions would be highly appreciated. Thanks, Giri --- Message posted from http://www.ExcelForum.com/ |
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