Re: [NTLK] QuickFigure Works Exchange and Excel 2000 on Win2k machine

On or about 4/6/07, avernier@earthlink.net wrote:

>> I've got a scheme to move spreadsheets from Works to my Mac, but not
>> the other way. And although not difficult, it's definitely not as
>> straightforward as moving RTF files.
>>
>So Don, what's the method?

Short summary:

1) Send the Works spreadsheet to your computer.

2) Copy the resulting text into a word processor that supports tables.

3) Convert the text to table.

4) Copy and paste from the table into a spreadsheet program (see below).

5) Audit the new spreadsheet for errors and incompatible calculations.

Hints, Details and an Example:

1) I have sent spreadsheets both as email and using the Desktop transport:

<http://www.unna.org/view.php?/applications/communications/DesktopTransport>

For the Desktop Transport, you need something to capture text from a
serial connection (or through a USB-serial adapter). On my old
Powerbook 1400, I use Microphone LT to capture from the serial port. On
my G4 Cube running 10.4.9, I am currently using the freeware GoSerial:
 
<http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/15339>

 through my USB-Serial adapter. I am also using Sloup on the Newton
instead of Desktop Transport's default serial port setup. They work
together automatically.

When you send the spreadsheet, make sure that you choose 'text'.

2) Here's a sample file sent from my Newton to my Cube using the above
setup. It's a simple spreadsheet for calculating Body Fat Level that I
adapted from an article in my newspaper a few months back:

-----snip-----
·Weight·195·
·Waist·34·
·1·=B1 * 1.082 + 94.42·
·2·=B2 * 4.15·
·3 Lean body Mass·=B3-B4·
·4 Body Fat weight·=B1-B5·
·Body Fat %·=B6 * 100 /B1·

·Classifications··
·Essential ·2·5
·Athelete·6·13
·Fitness·14·17
·Acceptable·18·24
·Obese·25·

----------
------unsnip-------

The first two rows contain your input (weight in pounds and waist size
in inches). You can see the formulae for calculations, starting in the
3rd row. For some reason, the cell delimiters show up as a '·'
character (we'll see if it survives in email) when captured by GoSerial,
but are tab characters when sent by email or when captured by Microphone
LT. AppleWorks 6 requires a tab character to do the text to table
conversion (Find/Change is your friend).

Note that the first block of cells in the spreadsheet has _trailing_
cell delimiters. That's because the transfer is made as a block of
'cells' sized to the maximum number of columns used.

Note the leading cell delimiter in each row, which is NOT in the
spreadsheet. In my example, 'Weight' is in cell A1. More on this later.

3) I am currently using NeoOffice for my word processor/spreadsheet
application. When I convert the text in the word processing document to
a table, I make sure that the '·' delimiter is specified (copy/paste is
your friend).

4) The resulting table has an extra blank leading column. If you copy/
paste into a spreadsheet as-is, the cell references will break. I
usually delete the first column of the table in this intermediate word
processing document to keep things straight. You can alternately just
copy and paste omitting the first column, and go from there.

5) If you have done everything correctly, you will have a new
spreadsheet with all the calculations functioning - EXCEPT for the few
instances where Works uses a different command than your computer's
spreadsheet program. The only example I have encountered in conversion
of my admittedly simple spreadsheets is that Works uses 'Num' where most
other spreadsheets that I have use 'Count'.

-- 
Don V. Zahniser
-- 
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