[ic] More problems with Spreadsheet Export

Mike Heins interchange-users@interchange.redhat.com
Thu Dec 20 15:44:11 2001


Quoting Jason Kohles (jkohles@redhat.com):
> On Wed, Dec 19, 2001 at 06:24:51PM -0800, Peter Hicks wrote:
> > On Wednesday 19 December 2001 17:54, Justin Bonds wrote:
> > > Patrick,
> > >
> > > When running the Store Wizard and using an Excel file to input, I get
> > > nearly the same end result as you.   I just discovered it a couple of
> > > nights ago. Now, in my situation - it actually cuts off the text.
> > >
> >  I believe this is a limit of Excel or the Excel file format.
> > 
> Yes, it is, Excel has a limit of 256 characters per cell.  Although they
> don't publicize this, you can usually find references to it in non-Excel
> related documentation, such as this from an Exchange guide:
> 
> Important
>     Microsoft Excel and other spreadsheet programs have a 256-character
>     limit per cell. The proxy-addresses field can have more than 256
>     characters. Do not import the directory export file into Microsoft
>     Excel or any other spreadsheet with this limitation because any
>     characters beyond the first 256 are truncated and lost without
>     warning. Use a database program such as Microsoft Access or Microsoft
>     Visual FoxPro(tm) to get around this limitation.
> 

This is true of Excel '95, but not of '97 and above. I have actually
tested spreadsheet import and export of text fields greater than
256 characters on Excel 2000 and '97.

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