Microsoft KB Archive/103412

Transferring Files Between Works 2.0 for Windows and Excel

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The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 4.0, 5.0
• Microsoft Works for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a

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SUMMARY

This article contains information about how to transfer files between Works for Windows 2.0 and Microsoft Excel 4.0, and lists the features that are converted, features that are not converted, and comments about the conversion process.

MORE INFORMATION

How to Transfer Files from Microsoft Excel to Works for Windows

You cannot open Microsoft Excel files directly in Microsoft Works for Windows versions 2.0. To open an Excel file in Works 2.0, save the file in Excel as a Works for Windows spreadsheet file (WKS). To do this:

1. In Microsoft Excel, open the file you want to convert.
2. On the File menu, click Save As.
3. In the Save file as type box, click WKS or WKS (1-2-3).
4. In the File name box, type a name for the spreadsheet, and then click OK or Save.

Transferring Files from Works for Windows to Excel

To open a Microsoft Works for Windows spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel:

1. On the File menu in Microsoft Excel, click Open.
2. In the Look in box, click the folder that contains the file you want to open.
3. In the File name box, type *.wks, and then click OK or Open.
4. Click the file you want to open, and and then click OK or Open.

Character Formatting Translation

Character formatting features such as type face, color, size, bold, italic, or underline in Works and Excel are not translated from Works to Excel or from Excel to Works.

Cell Formatting Translation

The following table lists cell formatting features in Works and Excel, and indicates if each feature is translated from Works to Excel or from Excel to Works:

Feature	Works to Excel	Excel to Works
Leading Zeros	No	N/A*
Exponential	Yes	Yes
True/False	No	N/A
Currency	Yes	Yes
Percent	Yes	Yes
Time	No	No
Date**	Partial	Partial
Fraction Numbers	N/A	No***
Patterns	N/A	No
Protect Data	Yes	Yes****

• Excel translates leading zeros into the currency format.
  

• • Dates are translated both ways as dates, but the date format may change during the translation.
    

• • • Fractions are translated from Excel to Works as decimal numbers.
      

• • • • Cell Protection is translated from Excel into Works. However, Object Protection and Window Protection are not translated.

Page Formatting Translation

The following table lists page formatting features in Works and Excel, and indicates if each feature is translated from Works to Excel or from Excel to Works:

Feature	Works to Excel	Excel to Works
Margins	No	No
Page size	Yes	Yes
Page break(s)	No	No
Text alignment (left, right, center)	Yes	Yes
Text alignment (justified)	N/A	No
Number alignment (left, right, center)	No	No
Number alignment (justified)	N/A	No
Column Width	Yes	Yes
Row Height	N/A	No
Background Shading	N/A	No
Borders	No	No
Headers/Footers	Yes	Partial*
Show Gridlines	No	Yes
Don't Show Gridlines	Yes	No
Show Formulas	No	No
Print Gridlines	No	No
Print Row and Column Headings	No	No

• The basic text is converted from Excel to Works. However, text formatting (font size, font style, text alignment) and any functions or formulas are lost.

Function Translation

If a function is available in both Works and Excel, the function can be translated from Works to Excel, and from Excel to Works.

If a function is only available in Excel, the value in the cell is translated to Works as text. The function or formula in the cell is lost.

The ERR() and TERM functions are only available in Works.

• You cannot translate the ERR() function in Works to Excel.
• When you translate TERM function to Excel, it is translated as the NPER function.

Other Features Translation

The following table lists other features in Works and Excel, and indicates if each feature is translated from Works to Excel or from Excel to Works:

Feature	Works to Excel	Excel to Works
Manual Calculation	Yes	Yes
Split Screen	No	No
Freeze Titles	Yes	Yes
Range Names	Yes	Yes
Print Area	No	Yes

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q127759 Works Err Msg: Invalid Range Names When Saving as Excel File

Additional query words: w_works import export converting transfers compatibility lotus 123 1-2-3

Keywords : kbtool kbui kbimu
Version : WINDOWS:2.0,2.0a,4.0,5.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto
Technology :

Last Reviewed: October 8, 1999 © 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.