Transferring Files Between Works 2.0 for Windows and Excel

ID: Q103412

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

This article contains information about how to transfer files between Works for Windows 2.0 and Microsoft Excel 4.0, and includes a table that lists the features that will be converted, those that will not be converted, as well as comments about the conversion process. Features are grouped by the following categories: Character Formatting, Cell and Page Formatting, Formulas, and Other Features.



Transferring Files from Microsoft Excel to Works for Windows

You cannot open Microsoft Excel files directly in Microsoft Works for Windows versions 2.0. To open these files in Works, you must first save them to the Works for Windows spreadsheet file format (WKS) using the following steps:

  1. In Microsoft Excel, open the file you want to convert.


  2. From the File menu, choose Save As.


  3. Enter a new name for the spreadsheet and select WKS [WKS (1-2-3) in Microsoft Excel version 5.0] in the Save File As Type box. Choose OK or press ENTER.


The spreadsheet can now be opened in Works for Windows.

Transferring Files from Works for Windows to Excel

To open Microsoft Works for Windows files directly in Microsoft Excel, do the following:

  1. In Microsoft Excel, choose Open from the File menu.


  2. Change to the directory where the file is located.


  3. Type "*.WKS" (without the quotation marks) in the File Name box and press Enter.


  4. Select the file you want to open and choose OK.


Feature Conversion Table

The following table lists the features that will convert and those that will not convert. It also provides additional comments as needed. 


                      Works to      Excel to
Feature               Excel         Works       Comments

Character                                       Converted to the
Formatting:                                     default in Works
                                                for Windows if the
                                                feature is not
                                                available.

    Font              No            No

    Size              No            No

    Bold              No            No

    Color             N/A           No

    Italic            No            No

    Underline         No            No


Cell Formatting:

    Leading Zeros     No            N/A         Excel translates
                                                leading zeros into the
                                                currency format.

    Exponential       Yes           Yes

    True/False        No            N/A

    Currency          Yes           Yes

    Percent           Yes           Yes

    Time              No            No

    Date              Partial       Partial     Entries will transfer
                                                as dates, but the date
                                                format may change in
                                                both Excel and Works.

    Fraction
    Numbers           N/A           No          Transferred from Excel
                                                into Works as a
                                                decimal number.

    Patterns          N/A           No

    Protect Data      Yes           Yes         Cell Protection in
                                                Excel will transfer
                                                into Works for
                                                Windows.  The Object
                                                Protection or Window
                                                Protection will not.


Page Formatting:

    Margins           No            No

    Page Size         Yes           Yes

    Page Break(s)     No            No

    Alignment (Text):

      Centered        Yes           Yes

      Left            Yes           Yes

      Right           Yes           Yes

      Justified       N/A           No

    Alignment (Numbers):

      Centered        No            No

      Left            No            No

      Right           No            No

      Justified       N/A           No

    Column Width      Yes           Yes

    Row Height        N/A           No

    Background
    Shading           N/A           No

    Borders           No            No

    Headers/Footers   Yes           Partial     The basic text will
                                                convert from Excel to
                                                Works.  However, the
                                                text formatting (font
                                                size, font style, text
                                                alignment) and the
                                                inserted codes will be
                                                lost.

    Show Gridlines    No            Yes

    Don't Show
    Gridlines         Yes           No

    Show Formulas     No            No

    Print Gridlines   No            No

    Print Row and
    Column Headings   No            No


Formulas:

    Exists in Works
    and Excel         Yes           Yes

    Exists only in
    Works:

      ERR()           No            N/A

      TERM            Yes           N/A         Translates as the NPER
                                                formula.

    Exists only in
    Excel                                       Translates as text.
                                                The formulas are lost
                                                and the formulas'
                                                results are used
                                                instead.

Other Features:

    Manual
    Calculation       Yes           Yes

    Split Screen      No            No

    Freeze Titles     Yes           Yes

    Range Names       Yes           Yes

    Print Area        No            Yes



MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q127759 : Works Err Msg: Invalid Range Names When Saving as Excel File

Additional query words: import export converting transfers compatibility lotus 123 1-2-3 \* \* 5x Tech_Review: angeloc \* W_Works 


Keywords          : 
Version           : 4.00 5.00
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        :

Last Reviewed: April 6, 1999