NOTE: After installation, you can find simple batch files (e.g. CSVtoXLS.bat or CSVtoXLSX.bat) for
quick and easy use by going to Start\All Programs\Convert XLS\Example Batch Files.
These will work without modification provided the installation was in the default folder.
Email us at
if you have any questions or need additional examples. We will get you up and running fast!
Although we'll discuss the use of the command line here, it's only to give you a taste. For the full, accurate, and up to date
information see the 'Convert XLS' command line documentation.
If you have trouble running these examples see
Helpful Hints For Creating a Command Line.
There are two approaches to using the command line:
- Specify one or more conversion tasks in a conversion job
- Specify a single conversion task in detail
A 'Conversion Job' is easily built using the 'Convert XLS' graphical user interface.
All the details of the job are saved in a single conversion job file (e.g. 'c:\myjobs\Do-Multi-Step-Conversion.SII).
Specifying a conversion job file with the command line is very easy by using the /J switch. You can have hundreds or thousands of tasks
specified in the conversion job file, all of which will get executed in one fell
swoop. For example:
ConvertXLS.EXE /J"D:\Job Files\Convert CSV to XLS.SII"
Specifying a single conversion task requires a bit more effort, but does not require
the prior creation of a 'Conversion Job' file.
The first example shows how to convert the most popular form of a CSV file, a
comma delimited file, to an Excel file. The second example shows how to convert
any character delimited (tab, bar, semicolon etc.).
Each
switch shown in blue is described in detail at the bottom of this page.
It is highly recommended you review each switches description before implementing
the example, thereby giving you the full power of 'Convert XLS'.
Example 1 (Comma Delimited CSV File to XLS)
To convert a single comma delimited CSV file, "C:\in\input.CSV" to an Excel (XLS) file located
in the "C:\Out\" folder, the following syntax would be used:
ConvertXLS.EXE
/S"C:\in\input.CSV" /T
"C:\Out\output.XLS"
/C-4143 /
F6
/M2 /V
To convert a whole folder (and
sub-folders) of comma delimited CSV files, C:\in\*.CSV to XLS files located
in the D:\Out\ folder, the following syntax would be used:
ConvertXLS.EXE
/S"C:\in\*.CSV" /T "C:\out\*.XLS"
/C51/F6 /M2 /R
The /G switch can be used to
tell 'Convert XLS' to place each output file in the same folder as each
input file. Therefore the command line above is equivalent to the command
line below:
ConvertXLS.EXE
/S"C:\in\*.CSV" /G /C-4143
/F6 /M2 /R
You may want to convert a whole
folder and its sub-folders and place the output into a separate folder/drive.
In which case use this syntax:
ConvertXLS.EXE
/S"C:\in\*.CSV" /T "C:\Out\*.XLS"
/C-4143 /F6
/M2 /R
Example 2 (Any Character Delimited CSV File to XLS)
The next example can be adapted to convert any character delimited text (CSV)
file. Say we have a bar "|" delmited text file that looks like
this:
a1|b1|c1
a2|b2|c2
a3|b3|c3
Our goal is to convert it to an Excel Workbook (XLS) file. The bar character has an
ASCII
equivalent of 124 therefore they syntax would be like this:
ConvertXLS.EXE
/S"C:\in\bar_delimited.txt"
/T
"C:\Out\Final.XLS"
/C-4143 /F6
/M2 /N"^^124"
If we had a tab delimited file
we would change the 124 in the above examples with
ASCII
equivalent of the tab character, 9. If you are not sure what the numeric
equivalent of your separation character is, go to the Options
button and click on the "CSV,TSV
" tab within the user interface.
Of course the examples above can be adapted to do whole folders and sub-folders
similar to what we did in Example 1.
- The /S and /T
switches above specify Input and Output path respectively
and are both required when converting a single file. It is always
a good idea to use double quotes around the path especially if there
are space characters within the path.
- The /C-4143
switch specifies that the target (output) file to be an Excel (XLS)
file whereas the /F6 switch specifies the input file
is a CSV file. See
Excel
Conversion File Type Constants for all possible values for /C and /F.
- The /M2
switch tells it to use the 'Convert XLS' conversion method which is
exceptionally fast. Note the
/M1 switch
could have been used to specify the 'MS
Excel' conversion method
which is a bit slower
and requires MS Excel.
- The /R switch tells it to search the input folder
and its sub-folders for files to convert.
- /G
switch can be used to tell 'Convert XLS' to place each output file
in the same folder as each input file.
- /N"{Sheet^Range^DelimChar^FixedWidth^X}" Is used when
converting to/from an Excel, CSV or fixed width text file. It specifies
which Sheets to convert, what Range to convert and what delimitation/separation
character to use, and the method to import export to a fixed width
text file. The syntax for this parameter is critical, the items are
separated by a carrot character "^". If you do not include
Sheet, Range or DelimChar by leaving them blank they will default
to all sheets, all used ranges and the comma delimitation character.
Be certain to include the double quotation character around this parameter
like: /N"Apples,Oranges^A2:B20^9"
- The /V (for Verbose) switch is used to give instant
feedback by having the program report the status of the conversion
with a message box. You can remove this once you have perfected your
command line specification. You can also (or instead of /V) create a Log file that will contain the
results of the conversion by using the /L
switch.
Note:
It is highly encouraged that you use the Verbose (/V) switch initially
to see what the status of your conversion is and to help you perfect your
command line. When in verbose mode the program will tell you what went
wrong or right with your command line using message boxes.
