Excel file types?

[Greg Snidow]

Greetings all. I am using OPENROWSET in SQL Server 2000 to access an Excel
file in a folder on our server. The file is stored there by any one of
several users, and it comes from a report on one of our websites by hitting
an export to Excel button. On some users machines, when you hit the button,
the file opens up at which point they have to save it from the File menu
within Excel, choosing Excel as the file type. When this happens, the file
is around 400 KB, and OPENROWSET can access it no problem. However, on some
users machines, when they hit the export to Excel button, rather than the
file opening, they get a popup asking if they want to open it or save it. If
they choose to save it, the normal save as dialog box opens up, and the only
options in the file type field are Excel workbook, and all files. Naturally,
they choose the Excel option, and hit save. The files that are saved by this
method, rather than from the File menu within Excel are around 700 KB, and
OPENROWSET can not access them. When I look at the file properties of both
files, they appear identical except for the size. The only difference I can
find is that if I open the smaller file, the one that was saved from the File
menu in Excel, and I choose File>Save as, when the dialog box pops up, the
default file type is Microsoft Excel Workbook (*.xls). However, when I open
the latter file, the one that was saved from the dialog box that popped up
when they hit the export to Excel button, and the one that is 700 KB, and I
choose File>Save as, the default file type is Web page (*.htm, *.html), or
something like that. If I then choose Excel, and save it, it then becomes
the normal 400 KB, and OPENROWSET can access it. Does anyone know what is
happening to make the one different? Or what is different about it? or what
is making up the extra 300 KB? I am completely flumoxed. Thanks

Greg

 

[JLGWhiz]

From what you describe, the one with the pop up appears to be saving the
file as a HTML web page format which would have web attributes embedded.
That's where the extra 300kb shows up. Not sure what can be done about it
if the users have the option to save as they like.

 

[Greg Snidow]

Thank you for the reply. The thing I don't understand is that when they save
via the popup, the default file type is Microsoft Excel Worksheet. There is
no option to save it as a web page. The thing that is confusing is that if I
open it, and actually choose to save it as a web page, it then becomes around
2 megs, and it opens with exporer, and is clearly not an Excel file any
longer. Anyhow, is there a technical name for this file? I need to be able
to make SQL server see it via OPENROWSET.

 

[JLGWhiz]

This may or may not help you, but it could lead you to the right place.

http://excel.tips.net/Pages/T002003_Opening_an_HTML_Page_in_Excel.html