xls to sql database

alexgtlm

Hi, this is my situation...
I am developing applications using php and sql, in a open source ambient. In my job there are supervisors which need to check reports daily. That reports needs to be formulated doing sql queries, but, here comes the problem.. the info is not in a SQL file, but in a XLS file which is updated every day by the systems guys. The supervisors must select the query parameters, hit enter and the report shall display.

My question is: can I do something for convert automatically the XLS file to a SQL file
every, lets say, 24hrs??

I don't know much about MySQL because I am electronics engineer, not systems, but I learn what I need to. I am using WAMP server for tests and in the real server at work we have WAMP also.
Thank you very much for your help.

bradgrafelman

alexgtlm wrote:
in a open source ambient.

Funny how you say that and then go on to talk about a proprietary file format such as Microsoft's XLS. 🙂 Is there no way you can instead get the creators/editors of the XLS file to save it as a CSV instead?

Since XLS is indeed a rather proprietary format, you'll have to first convert it (or simply read and extract the data using PHP) to a more usable format. Search Google for "PHP read XLS" (or "PHP read Excel spreadsheet") and you'll probably find a plethora of examples.

One such example might be this SF project (I've never used it - just relaying results) as well as the many examples of using the COM interface to use Excel itself to read it (only possible if Excel is installed on your webserver).

alexgtlm

bradgrafelman;10971320 wrote:
Funny how you say that and then go on to talk about a proprietary file format such as Microsoft's XLS. 🙂 Is there no way you can instead get the creators/editors of the XLS file to save it as a CSV instead?

Since XLS is indeed a rather proprietary format, you'll have to first convert it (or simply read and extract the data using PHP) to a more usable format. Search Google for "PHP read XLS" (or "PHP read Excel spreadsheet") and you'll probably find a plethora of examples.

One such example might be this SF project (I've never used it - just relaying results) as well as the many examples of using the COM interface to use Excel itself to read it (only possible if Excel is installed on your webserver).

hey thanks! I forgot to say that the guys who deliver the XLS file are not using open source lol! Well, I will try what you recommend, thanks!