What is meant by "select the range" when saving data to a dBase file.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chris Niesterowicz
  • Start date Start date
C

Chris Niesterowicz

I need to work with and convert data back and forth in
both Excel .xls and .dbf format. Sometimes I can save the
data from .xls to .dbf and other times I can't (very
frustrating).


According to Article 31817 from the Knowledge Base I "must
define a database on the worksheet before I save it in the
dBase file format." What does this mean and how do I do
this?

Also, in the Workaround it says in paragraph 1. On the
Microsoft Excel worksheet, select "the range" that
contains the database. Again what does this mean and how
do I do this?

I have tried using the MS Excel help to no avail.

Thanks,
Chris Niesterowicz
Maryland Environmental Service
 
A range is a set of rows and columns. It can be one cell
or the whole spreadsheet. It defines where your data is
located.
 
Start with a new, empty sheet.
Click in A1.
Hold down shift, and click in E10.

You now have a group of cells which are highlighted and surronded by a
border.
You have now "selected a range".
This can be called "Range A1:E10".

*While* this range is *selected*, you can perform numerous actions which
will be confined to the cells within this range.
Right click *within* the range and you will see a menu appear with some
choices.
These are not the only actions which can be done, but just a few of the most
common ones, COPY among them.
If you clicked on copy, and then navigated to another portion of the sheet,
and then right clicked in a cell and chose "paste", all the 50 cells would
be copied to this new location.

This action could be described as "selecting a range and copying to another
location".

However, if you click any where in the sheet *outside* the range, the cells
revert to their normal appearence, and you really can't easily identify the
"range" any more.

Now, "select" the same range again.
This time, click in the NameBox (should be to the left of the formula bar),
and type a name, "MyList" for example (no quotes), and hit <Enter>.
Click anywhere *outside* the range, and the selection disappears.

However, if you now click on the small down arrow beside the NameBox,
you should see a drop-down list with your "MyList" displayed.
Click on "MyList" and you will instantly and automatically get your range
selected.
You now can perform any task you wish on these selected cells.

With these thoughts in mind, you can now select all the cells that comprise
your data base within your sheet, and assign them a name.
When the directions say "select the range", all you now have to do is click
in the NameBox, and choose the name you entered.

--


HTH,

RD
========================================
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit!
========================================
 
Back
Top