FYI: getting data from an OpenOffice.org spreadsheet

[John Machin]

Sybren Stuvel wrote:
> John Machin enlightened us with:
> > Suppose one has over a hundred spreadsheets (real-life example:
> > budgets from an organisation's reporting centres) ... manually
> > opening each in OOo Calc is less than appealing, and not very
> > robust.
>
> True. There are functions that can load files as well. Combined with
> the glob module, this could automatically handle all files in a
> certain directory.
>
> > With the 2nd example (alf's question: copy OOo Calc file to Excel
> > xls file), I don't see any advantage at all over the manual
> > procedure (1) start OOo Calc (2) open Calc file (3) File > Save As >
> > select Microsoft Excel 97 etc format > ... what am I missing? Your
> > solution requires (1) edit script to change name of output file;
> > save script (where?) (2) start OOo Calc with magic-spell on the
> > command line (3) open calc file (4) run script.
>
> It's just a demonstration of the file saving process. Indeed, the
> saving not all that useful, but someone requested it and I wrote it.

Other possible responses: (1) suggest the obvious(?)
less-labour-intensive no-script method (2) show how to automate it
robustly.

>
> > How does one write a script that can be in control e.g. script
> > starts OOo (if necessary),
>
> That's easily done with a system call or the subprocess or popen2
> modules.
>
> > and extracts some data from all spreadsheet files in a given
> > directory (while one is at lunch)?
>
> Just add a few lines to load the file instead of picking the currently
> opened one. Do you want me to do more digging and extend the code? I'm
> willing to do that, but only if it makes you happy :)

Firstly, let me say that you are highly commended for wading so far
into the OOo docs and producing two pieces of code that actually do
something. I've opened up the docs two or three times, said "Waaahht
the ...." and closed them rapidly.

I don't "want" you to do anything. However the interests of
evangelising/spreading the use of OOo software might be advanced were
you to go the extra step or two and post a recipe for simple data
extraction from a named file, rather than the currently open file. Add
a few hints like what are the types of the data that you get back
(especially how dates are distinguished from numbers, if at all) and
you'll be a hero :-)

Cheers,
John