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Exporting to Excel the simple way (but not CSV)

Answer 1

+1 A:

For Gridlines...

Go into Tools > Options, then in the View Tab check the Gridlines checkbox

(Based on Excel 2003)

kevchadders 2009-11-16 14:56:09

thanks, that helped with one of the problems :) any idea how to get the colors right?

Peter Perháč 2009-11-16 15:32:14

Answer 2

+2 A:

You can use the special XML formatting options to force gridlines inside the spreadsheet:

<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
         xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel"
          xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"&gt;
<head>
<xml>
 <x:ExcelWorkbook>
  <x:ExcelWorksheets>
   <x:ExcelWorksheet>
    <x:Name>Sheet</x:Name>
    <x:WorksheetOptions>
     <x:Print>
     <x:Gridlines />
     </x:Print>
    </x:WorksheetOptions>
   </x:ExcelWorksheet>
  </x:ExcelWorksheets>
 </x:ExcelWorkbook>
</xml>
</head>       
<body>
<table>
<tr><td bgcolor="#ff2323">hello</td></tr>
</table>
</body>
</html>

More generally, see this MSDN link for detailed documentation on this format.

Dan 2009-11-16 16:06:53

Thanks for this. Any ideas *why* the colors are converted?

Peter Perháč 2009-11-16 18:28:45

Answer 3

+1 A:

I would actually expect Excel not to give you the standard Web-safe colors but rather choose from its own palette (which is even smaller; only 56 slots on "traditional" versions of Excel, perhaps 2007 has lifted this). It is possible to select your own custom colors within Excel (Tools->Options->Color in the version I use at work), but each new color you choose would replace one of the "factory" defaults.

I suspect the automatic HTML-to-Excel import just doesn't want to go through the trouble of setting up these colors for you, especially since the possibility exists that your HTML pseudo-Excel file contains more colors than Excel's palette has slots. Then it would be forced to disappoint you anyway. Excel's implementers probably decided it would be easier and simpler to just disappoint you up front. ;)

John Y 2009-11-19 06:30:18

Now, that's really explained the colors problem! I now understand. Thanks.

Peter Perháč 2009-11-23 09:51:45

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Exporting to Excel the simple way (but not CSV)

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