Topic: Importing excel data files

Hi.
    I create a lot of table of values using excel (in the 100s of data value spread over many columns) which I then have to manually cut and paste into Graph's "import point series". Would you be able to add a facility in Graph that import such data files? I saw a post from 2016 mentioning something about importing excel files, and you replied saying you didn't understand the person's question. Maybe s/he was tlaking about this?

chris

Re: Importing excel data files

You can save the file as a comma separated values (csv) in Excel, which you can import into Graph.

Re: Importing excel data files

I have now created a plugin that can import point series from Excel .xlsx files. You can find it at
https://www.padowan.dk/bin/plugins/ImportExcel.zip

You need the beta version of Graph 4.5 from https://padowan.dk/beta

You can install the plugin from the Plugin Manager in the Plugins menu. When installed you will have a menu item Files|Import|Excel file in the main menu and an Import Excel file menu item in the context menu in the Insert pointseries dialog.

Re: Importing excel data files

Ivan

    Sorry for the late reply. Thanks for the effort. I have downloaded Graph 4.5 Beta to test this out and it doesn't seem to work. I created a one-sheet Excel file containing two columns of numbers (with no headings or anything, just columns of numbers). I was thinking that Graph would read the left column (which runs from 0.6 to 1.5 in steps of 0.1) as the x-axis, and the right column (which is just zeros) as the y axis data.

I then went to Graph -> File -> Import -> Excel file and the result I got is shown in the attached jpg. None of my points were plotted and Graph created 4 separate points series, each of these empty.

chris

Post's attachments

Attachment icon Graph excel import test.jpg 104.66 kb, 279 downloads since 2019-05-15 

Re: Importing excel data files

Can you please attach the Excel file you used. I tried doing as you describe at it works.

Re: Importing excel data files

Ivan

   Hi. Here is the excel file I used.

chris

Post's attachments

Attachment icon test.xlsx 8.29 kb, 1834 downloads since 2019-05-24 

Re: Importing excel data files

Thanks. The plugin works exactly as you expected. It takes the x-axis values from the left column (Column A) and the y-values from the other columns.

However your file doesn't have anything in column A, which is why the imported point series contain no values. To make it work you need to place all the x-values in column A and the y-values in column B, C, D, etc. You also need to start the values from row 1, though it will also work if you have a description in row 1 and start the values in row 2.

I can see that the plugin doesn't work when the Excel file contains formulas. I have now fixed that in an updated plugin:
https://www.padowan.dk/bin/plugins/ImportExcel.zip

Re: Importing excel data files

Ivan

  Thanks. I love the way you can plot the 1st Excel column versus the 2nd and subsequent Excel columns as different point series.

The problem (if it is a problem) is that in the point-series dialogue box some values are not listed exactly as they are listed in the Excel file. For example, starting with a value of "0.6" in cell A1, I then generate subsequent values of 0.7 to 1.5 using the formula "=A1+0.1" and copying this formula all the way down to cell A10. But Graph doesn't import these values exactly as they are. E.g. 0.8 in Excel become 0.7999999999999999 in graph (Pic attached)

Can you fix this?

chris

Post's attachments

Attachment icon Slide1.JPG 111.4 kb, 280 downloads since 2019-06-01 

Attachment icon Slide2.JPG 82.6 kb, 279 downloads since 2019-06-01 

Re: Importing excel data files

It is a rounding problem. It doesn't affect how the points are plottet, but it does look silly in the dialog. I think I have fixed it now. I also made a few other improvements to the plugin:
https://www.padowan.dk/bin/plugins/ImportExcel.zip

Re: Importing excel data files

Ivan

   Thanks. I created an Excel fle containing 30 columns of data, each column containing 500 values, and Graph managed to import this file as 29 separate point series without any problems.

chris