• The Four Hundred
  • Subscribe
  • Media Kit
  • Contributors
  • About Us
  • Contact
Menu
  • The Four Hundred
  • Subscribe
  • Media Kit
  • Contributors
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • IBM i Excel Spreadsheet Generator Now Unicode Compliant

    September 4, 2012 Alex Woodie

    iDATA Development recently delivered a new release of iEXL, its Excel spreadsheet generation software that runs on IBM i. With V3R2, the software is now Unicode compliant, which will enable Asian IBM i shops to take advantage of iEXL.

    iEXL is an IBM i program that generates Excel spreadsheets directly from DB2/400 files. The software is used by employees and managers who prefer to see and work with company data within the comfort of Microsoft Excel, as opposed to any of the other myriad ways of getting at the data, such as canned reporting tools, ad hoc query tools, or powerful direct-access database utilities.

    Using iEXL can be as simple as entering the names of up to 50 files, and watching as the software automatically converts the files into different workbooks in a spreadsheet. The software can be used with default settings, or it can be configured for more complicated workflows, such as by modifying an existing report program to output to a spreadsheet instead of a text-based report.

    Spreadsheets generated by iEXL can be consumed in several ways. The software can be configure to store the spreadsheets in the IFS, distribute them automatically via email, or immediately open them on the desktop. ZIP compression is also supported to keep spreadsheets from taking up too much storage.

    iDATA provides a green-screen menu system to configure the various iEXL settings. This gives the user fine-grained control over style settings, such as font and type size, cell and background colors, cell positioning, page breaks, worksheets, and so forth. Users can also insert images into their generated spreadsheets, and manipulate Excel functions via iEXL. Auto filters, sort sequences, and initialize and hide column functions are also supported.

    iEXL gives users options in how their DB2/400 files will be converted into Excel spreadsheets.

    iEXL is based on Apache APIs to access Microsoft Office formats. Specifically, it uses the Apache POI (“Poor Obfuscation Implementation”) project’s humorously named HSSF (“Horrible SpreadSheet Formula”) API. The project also makes other “horrible” APIs for generating Word and PowerPoint, and Publisher files, too.

    iDATA principle Mark Golden says he developed iEXL so that IT departments and users can use their existing knowledge to create spreadsheets. Users can get up and running very quickly with iEXL, since many of the options can be set as defaults, he says.

    With the latest release, V3R2, iEXL has been adapted to be Unicode compliant, enabling it to display double-byte character sets used by Asian languages. Golden says a handful of organizations from around the world have adopted iEXL over the years.

    Pricing is tier-based and starts at £3,000, or about $4,750 at current exchange rates. iDATA is based in the U.K., and its software is distributed in the U.S. through The Moore Consulting Group. For more information, see www.iexlsoftware.com.

    This article was corrected. iEXL is used by a “handful” of customers, not by hundreds of organizations. IT Jungle regrets the error.



                         Post this story to del.icio.us
                   Post this story to Digg
        Post this story to Slashdot

    Share this:

    • Reddit
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Tags:

    Sponsored by
    Eradani

    API Enable Your IBM i Today

    Create & Manage Secure, High Speed, APIs for IBM i with Eradani Connect!

    o Automatically schedule and track shipments

    o Communicate with IoT devices

    o Connect to Amazon, Shopify and others

    o Automate order processing

    o Create mobile and web user interfaces

    o Generate Open API Swagger Documentation

    Eradani Mentors will ensure your success!

    Share this:

    • Reddit
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Sponsored Links

    System i Developer:  RPG & DB2 Summit, Oct 23-25 in Minneapolis. Register by Oct 12 to save $100!
    Profound Logic Software:  Webinar: Developing Mobile Applications for the IBM i. October 3
    Help/Systems:  2012 Solutions Summit. September 17-20 in Minneapolis, MN.

    IT Jungle Store Top Book Picks

    BACK IN STOCK: Easy Steps to Internet Programming for System i: List Price, $49.95

    The iSeries Express Web Implementer's Guide: List Price, $49.95
    The iSeries Pocket Database Guide: List Price, $59
    The iSeries Pocket SQL Guide: List Price, $59
    The iSeries Pocket WebFacing Primer: List Price, $39
    Migrating to WebSphere Express for iSeries: List Price, $49
    Getting Started with WebSphere Express for iSeries: List Price, $49
    The All-Everything Operating System: List Price, $35
    The Best Joomla! Tutorial Ever!: List Price, $19.95

    The Ethernet Switch Market Is Booming Future Coding

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Volume 12, Number 23 -- September 4, 2012
THIS ISSUE SPONSORED BY:

Profound Logic Software
Help/Systems
Townsend Security
Tembo Application Generation
Connectria Hosting

Table of Contents

  • Attachmate Add Features with MFT Update
  • Security Bundle Blocks Unwanted Web Traffic from Reaching IBM i
  • IBM i Excel Spreadsheet Generator Now Unicode Compliant
  • Maxava Taps Baseline to Resell HA in the Cloud
  • Trimble to Buy Trucking Software Firm TMW Systems for $335M
  • Indigo Chooses CNX’s Valence to Modernize RPG App
  • Liaison Grows Its Cloud with Acquisition of HubSpan
  • Equity Firm Merges Quadrant and Softbase, Eyes Further IBM i Acquisitions
  • ManageEngine Bolsters Performance Management Tools
  • IntelliChief to Provide Document Automation for B&L

Content archive

  • The Four Hundred
  • Four Hundred Stuff
  • Four Hundred Guru

Recent Posts

  • COMMON Set for First Annual Conference in Three Years
  • API Operations Management for Safe, Powerful, and High Performance APIs
  • What’s New in IBM i Services and Networking
  • Four Hundred Monitor, May 18
  • IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 24, Number 20
  • IBM i 7.3 TR12: The Non-TR Tech Refresh
  • IBM i Integration Elevates Operational Query and Analytics
  • Simplified IBM i Stack Bundling Ahead Of Subscription Pricing
  • More Price Hikes From IBM, Now For High End Storage
  • Big Blue Readies Power10 And IBM i 7.5 Training for Partners

Subscribe

To get news from IT Jungle sent to your inbox every week, subscribe to our newsletter.

Pages

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Contributors
  • Four Hundred Monitor
  • IBM i PTF Guide
  • Media Kit
  • Subscribe

Search

Copyright © 2022 IT Jungle

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.