gnumeric and excel files

pascald · #1 15th January 2007, 06:37 PM

Hi,
I noticed today that gnumeric (version I don't know because the About entry of the help menu does not work) is not able to open MS excel files . In the help menu it is sait however that it is possible. And I used to do it when I was using ubuntu. The extension is not even in the file extension list in the file type combobox of the open menu.
Please do not tell me it is the strict obedience to the GPL that forbid this (MS excel file format is non free I guess).
The reason I want to use it is that it manages the deviation bars much better that OOo calc...
Any help appreciated.

brunson · #2 15th January 2007, 08:29 PM

Find and excel file, right click, open "Properties", choose the "Open With" tab, click "Add", select "Gnumeric", "Add", "Close".

pascald · #3 15th January 2007, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brunson

Find and excel file, right click, open "Properties", choose the "Open With" tab, click "Add", select "Gnumeric", "Add", "Close".

I tried your suggestion but unfortunately the "Add" option of the "Open with" tab might mean add another apllication to open such a file type because a list pops up in which I did not choose anithing else since there wasn't gnumeric. Anyway even by selecting the gnumeric option in the "Open with" tab, I still get the "File format not supported" (translated from thefrench message but you should get the meaning)

brunson · #4 15th January 2007, 10:26 PM

Yes, I did misunderstand your question. What version of gnumeric do you have installed?

Code:

$ rpm -q gnumeric
gnumeric-1.6.3-5.fc6

pascald · #5 16th January 2007, 08:42 AM

here is what I get :
$ rpm -q gnumeric
gnumeric-1.6.3-5.fc6
same as you I see. Strange , isn't it ? I guess (from your interest) that you don't have this problem.

paul matthijsse · #6 16th January 2007, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pascald

Anyway even by selecting the gnumeric option in the "Open with" tab, I still get the "File format not supported" (translated from thefrench message but you should get the meaning)

Can you open that Excel file in OOcalc? If yes, try to save it in another, more Linux friendly format. If not, perhaps the original file is corrupt? Can you open it in MS Excel, if available?

Paul.

pascald · #7 16th January 2007, 03:32 PM

I can open the file with OOo and it looks like in excel (not available on my laptop).
The point of using gnumeric is that I think it makes a better use of the excel spreadsheet than OOo (at least for the moment), expecially for the graphs and it handles the error bars (deviation) where OOo doesn't (I do not consider what Calc does as handling error bars).

brunson · #8 16th January 2007, 05:53 PM

I have no problem opening an excel file in gnumeric. Maybe it's a problem with the specific excel file. Is it from a particularly new version of excel, like Office 2007 or something? If you want to send me the file I can try to open it. Also, try "rpm -V gnumeric" to make sure your installation didn't get messed up.

pascald · #9 17th January 2007, 11:54 AM

Hi,
I tried the command you suggest as root: no problem.
What puzzles me is that the possiblity of opening excel file is not even present i.e. the .xls is not in the extension list of the open file - file type menu.
I only have 5 choices between: automatic detection, CSV/TSV, XML(*.gnumeric), SAX(*.gnumeric) and text

Edit :
I just switched to ubuntu on my laptop and looked at gnumeric there. The version is 1.6.3 That's it. No -5 or whatever. I could get this version number from the About in the Help menu which doesn't work with my FC6. Also I noticed that not only .xls files are in the list of file types that can be imported but there were many more. Did you look on your gnumeric how many file types you have in this list ? The file I attach is open with no problem with gnumeric in ubuntu (meaning I don't think the problem comes from the file)

Edit (second):
The attachment didn't work so I changed the extension of the file to .txt but it is a .xls file

paul matthijsse · #10 17th January 2007, 01:49 PM

Hi, I think you best reinstall gnumeric. I have this program running on FC6 without all the problems you mention. The About-thing says Gnumeric 1.6.3 and it can open many spreadsheet (15 or so) types, including Excel's xls. When I type "yum info gnumeric" it gives the same version number 1.6.3 and says that it is release 5.fc6.

So just reinstall.

Cheers, Paul.

pascald · #11 17th January 2007, 02:12 PM

OK I'll try that. Thanx.

pascald · #12 17th January 2007, 05:07 PM

I removed then re-installed gnumeric with the "Applications menu->Add/remove applications" (under gnome). It didn't work.
Then I did it again with yum in a console. It still does not work.
What's left ?

brunson · #13 17th January 2007, 05:10 PM

I think your next step would have to be finding a Gnumeric forum and asking someone with in depth knowledge of gnumeric file handling. They'll probably be able to tell you what is missing or broken, then figure out is it's something you did to your system or a bug i the package. If it's the latter, a report to the rpm maintainer would be in order.

eelco · #14 1st February 2007, 10:04 PM

In the tools menu, select Plug-ins. Search for 'MS Excel (tm)' in the list, and make sure it is selected. Worked for me.

pascald · #15 5th February 2007, 09:06 PM

Thank you eelco. That was it.
I feel stupid. Since it worked in ubuntu and Suse I did not even look in the menus to find out if there was a solution to my problem.