Re: Importing tab-delimited text files or connecting to ODBC

[Peter S Galbraith <p.galbraith@globetrotter.net>]

Tim McNamara <timmcn@bitstream.net> wrote:

> Maks Romih <maksr@snt.si> writes:
> 
> > "Eric Pement" <pemente@northpark.edu> writes:
> >
> >> Maks Romih wrote:
> >> 
> >> > [...] I want to have some tool to connect to or import from other
> >> > data sources, especially relational DBMS-es, excel, MS Access,
> >> > etc.
> >> 
> >> I think the difficulty with your search being fulfilled is that you
> >> are hoping to have Emacs, which is GNU-founded "free software",
> >> find a way to import data structures created by proprietary,
> >> non-free software. I suggest that there could be a philosophical
> >> hesitation for some people in getting free software to support
> >> commercial, non-free software. I think we're lucky to get GNU Emacs
> >> available for WinNT!
> >
> > I'm exploring these possibilities exactly because I'm not satisfied
> > with "non-free software".
> 
> I would recommend comparing what file types Emacs can import into the
> major modes of interest to you, and then seeing what the unfree
> applications can export.  For example, there are many types of
> spreadsheet and database file formats that are cross-compatible.  CSV,
> SYLK, etc.  Many unfree applications do support file types that free
> software applications can read.

If you export the Excel data as CSV, then  you can use csv-mode.el to
read them in Emacs.  It's likely that table.el can import them too.

If you use Debian, install the package emacs-goodies-el to get both
those add-ons.

Peter