Input files of the XLS format are automatically converted to XML. Handling and processing the XLS input format files in the Lasernet Form Editor application is similar to the operations with the XML input format files.

When an .xlsx grab file opens, it is automatically converted to XML.

Spreadsheets created in Microsoft Excel 2007 or newer are supported. Installing Microsoft Excel is not required for converting Excel into XML.

Exercise

Download and import the attached configuration called 01. XLS in Lasernet Developer 9. Afterwards, follow the steps listed below.

1. On the Tools panel, click Forms to open a form area.

2. Click the Add button on the top toolbar.

Otherwise, you can drag the Form item to the form area. As one more alternative, you can right-click in the form area, and then click Add in the context menu that appears.

3. Enter a name of the new form (Sample) in the Name field.

4. Select XLS as an input format.

5. Once you are done, click Ok to confirm adding a new form.

6. Open the Sample form you have just added for editing. To this end, select it, and then click the Edit button on the toolbar. Otherwise, you can right-click the form, and then select Edit on the context menu that appears, or just double-click the form.

7. Open a grab file named Sample. To this end, on the Form menu, click Select Grab File(s).

8. In the Select Grab File(s) dialog that opens, select the Copy of Sample folder, then select the Sample file, and then click Open.

You are now proposed to modify a structure of the input file to improve your effectiveness and efficiency for working with XML. To this end, follow the steps listed below:

9. On the Form menu, click Form Options.

10. In the Form Options dialog displayed, switch to the Excel to XML tab.

11. Use the Number of header rows spin box to specify 1 as a value meaning that the first row(s) in the Excel spreadsheet is to be parsed as column name(s) and not as common data.

12. Select the Header names for elements check box meaning that a header name is to be used instead of the column name with an attribute.

See the picture below to compare the XML file structures before and after changing the form options: