Can excel open .dat files

mapakunk · May 8th, 2002, 11:04 AM

Does anyone know if you can link a Impact Encore 5.0 data table to an Excel spreadsheet? This would save me from having to deal with the report writer feature(which I believe is Crystal Reports) I'm trying to to an aging report based on due date alone. Impact does not have this feature by itself. The files are saved as DAT files.

[ This Message was edited by: mapakunk on 2002-05-08 10:23 ]

Damon Ostrander · May 8th, 2002, 03:25 PM

Hi mapakunk,

I have no direct experience with Impact Encore 5.0, but I do know that it is an OLE-compliant application. As a result, you can use Automation (you can check out the topic "Understanding Automation" in the Excel VBA helps if you are unfamiliar with this term) to access Impact Encore objects from Excel via VBA and should also be able to embed Encore objects in Excel worksheets. Often this can be done just by doing a copy of the table directly from the application (Encore) window and paste it into Excel without even having to go through the Encore file save and Excel import process.

Also, if Encore produces a .dat file that is text (i.e., it makes sense when you view it in Notepad, not just a bunch of unprintable characters), then it can be imported into Excel as a text file. If may not be arranged in a format that you desire, but it would be readable by Excel.

I hope this helps.

May 8th, 2002, 03:25 PM	#2
Damon Ostrander MrExcel MVP Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Denver, Colorado USA Posts: 4,014	Hi mapakunk, I have no direct experience with Impact Encore 5.0, but I do know that it is an OLE-compliant application. As a result, you can use Automation (you can check out the topic "Understanding Automation" in the Excel VBA helps if you are unfamiliar with this term) to access Impact Encore objects from Excel via VBA and should also be able to embed Encore objects in Excel worksheets. Often this can be done just by doing a copy of the table directly from the application (Encore) window and paste it into Excel without even having to go through the Encore file save and Excel import process. Also, if Encore produces a .dat file that is text (i.e., it makes sense when you view it in Notepad, not just a bunch of unprintable characters), then it can be imported into Excel as a text file. If may not be arranged in a format that you desire, but it would be readable by Excel. I hope this helps. __________________ Keep Excelling. Damon VBAexpert Excel Consulting (My other life: http://damonostrander.com )

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May 8th, 2002, 11:04 AM	#1
mapakunk New Member Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 40	Does anyone know if you can link a Impact Encore 5.0 data table to an Excel spreadsheet? This would save me from having to deal with the report writer feature(which I believe is Crystal Reports) I'm trying to to an aging report based on due date alone. Impact does not have this feature by itself. The files are saved as DAT files. [ This Message was edited by: mapakunk on 2002-05-08 10:23 ]