Open an excel file using COM and save it as .xml file

Question

Hi. Im trying the following code:

<?php

    $workbook = "D:\b2\\test.XLS";
    $sheet = "Sheet1";

    #Instantiate the spreadsheet component.
        $ex = new COM("Excel.sheet") or Die ("Did not connect");

    #Get the application name and version    
        print "Application name:{$ex->Application->value}<BR>" ; 
        print "Loaded version: {$ex->Application->version}<BR>"; 

    #Open the workbook that we want to use.
        $wkb = $ex->application->Workbooks->Open($workbook) or Die ("Did not open");

    #Create a copy of the workbook, so the original workbook will be preserved.
        $ex->Application->ActiveWorkbook->SaveAs("D:\b2\Ourtest.xml");  
        #$ex->Application->Visible = 1; #Uncomment to make Excel visible.



    #Optionally, save the modified workbook
        $ex->Application->ActiveWorkbook->SaveAs("D:\Ourtest.xml");                      
    #Close all workbooks without questioning
        $ex->application->ActiveWorkbook->Close("False");    
        unset ($ex);

    ?> 

This actually works and creates the Ourtest.xml file. But im getting characters like:

ÐÏࡱá > þÿ þÿÿÿ
I have tried with SaveAs("D:\Ourtest.pdf") and it says the file has been corrupted or incorrectly decoded. Can anyone help me please?Thanks

Answer 1

That is because you are saving it as Excel Format. Check the Excel documentation for how to save it as an XML document - it might be a separate paramter to SaveAs or a different method alltogether (Export*).

EDIT: It seems SaveAs is the right method to use. Check the msdn documentation here. You probably want to specify the second parameter FileFormat. Maybe setting it to the XlFileFormat.xlXMLSpreadsheet value?