FMP data > Excel template

[ignotum]

I have the need to export FileMaker data to an existing Excel format in an all Mac environment - FMP 11 (or 12 once it gets sorted out). The COULD be a template in Excel waiting for data or it COULD be a new Excel document created that has the required formatting... I am not locked in to any given process to get there. See the attached Excel sample.

So... XML/XSLT, Excel template w/scripting maybe? (remember, this is a Mac environment)... thoughts, ideas...?

Thanks,

mark

ExcelReport.pdf

[Ocean West]

if you have an excel file you could use Scribe from 360works and write data to the cells.

[g40sty]

Sounds like you're looking for an ODBC connection.

What ODBC is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ODBC

Microsoft Excel for Mac supports ODBC:

http://mac2.microsof...0a-422f90ebf679

FileMaker supports ODBC, and just so happens to also use the Actual Technologies driver:

http://www.filemaker...ogies/odbc.html

You could also just export from FileMaker Pro and import into excel with the FileMaker database open and going to File > Export!

[ignotum]

Well I looked at Scribe and I don't think this is going to do it. The data that gets exported will be of variable length - that is: there will be a header (formatted as such), followed by X number of rows, then another header (formated as such) followed by Y number of rows. Each time the report runs it will be different data. I think Scribe wants to write to named fields in an Excel form - rather than writing data and formatting it as it goes... I don't see a way to "expand" the data rows portion... maybe there is?

The ODBC solution is beyond my skill set. If someone WITH that skill set wants to get inolved in the jon (read: paid) contact me directly please.

Thank you,

Mark

[comment]

This is - probably - possible using XML export with a custom XSLT stylesheet. I say probably, because I don't see your original data, but it seems quite straightforward.

The other complication is which XML format you can live with: it is relatively simple to produce a Excel 2003 SpreadsheetML document ; generating a xlsx document is more complicated and requires either a plugin or AppleScript to zip the final result.

Another option to explore is passing the data to AppleScript and letting AppleScript negotiate a new document with the Excel application (assuming Excel is installed on the system).