Exporting data from word form to excel: Maximum number of fields?

[Tess-Bristol]

I am preparing a Word (Office 2003) form for our project to use to capture
data.

I am using fields to store data. I plan to then export the data from the
form and into excel (In Word: Tools/options/save/save data only for forms)

My problem (apart from not being a programmer) is that I have a lot of
fields and Excel will accept - at most 256 fields.

Is there a) a more elegant way
B) is it described somewhere how to import more than 256 items of data into
word. (I am using .txt documents with the data delimited by commas).
Many thanks

 

[macropod]

Hi Tess-Bristol,

If you export the data in a CSV format, it could be opened in Excel 2007. Alternatively, if you've got fewer than records, you could
organise the fields by row instead of by column. That way, you can have up to 65536 fields.

 

[Tess-Bristol]

Hi marcopod

Thank you.

Can you clarify: Were you saying that instead of IMPORTING the data so that
Excel puts each record into a different column, i could IMPORT the data so it
puts it into rows.

OR is it about how I EXPORT the data from word?

Perhaps its about both?

If so then

1) How can i look up how to do this, could you give me some useful ways to
search for the right 'help' screens? Or if there are any useful examples
like the Diane Chapman webpages on creating forms? Sorry I am not a
programmer and don't yet know how to use VBA (though I think i will be using
these things soon). I have looked myself and can't seem to find the right
things.

Cheers Tess

Hi Tess-Bristol,

If you export the data in a CSV format, it could be opened in Excel 2007. Alternatively, if you've got fewer than records, you could
organise the fields by row instead of by column. That way, you can have up to 65536 fields.

--
Cheers
macropod
[Microsoft MVP - Word]

I am preparing a Word (Office 2003) form for our project to use to capture
data.

I am using fields to store data. I plan to then export the data from the
form and into excel (In Word: Tools/options/save/save data only for forms)

My problem (apart from not being a programmer) is that I have a lot of
fields and Excel will accept - at most 256 fields.

Is there a) a more elegant way
B) is it described somewhere how to import more than 256 items of data into
word. (I am using .txt documents with the data delimited by commas).
Many thanks

 

[macropod]

Hi Tess-Bristol,

From your post heading, I understood the intent to be to export from Word to Excel, and that's what my response reflected. The body
of your post seems to have the two issues confused, however:

I plan to then export the data from the form and into excel
is it described somewhere how to import more than 256 items of data into word

--
Cheers
macropod
[Microsoft MVP - Word]

Hi marcopod

Thank you.

Can you clarify: Were you saying that instead of IMPORTING the data so that
Excel puts each record into a different column, i could IMPORT the data so it
puts it into rows.

OR is it about how I EXPORT the data from word?

Perhaps its about both?

If so then

1) How can i look up how to do this, could you give me some useful ways to
search for the right 'help' screens? Or if there are any useful examples
like the Diane Chapman webpages on creating forms? Sorry I am not a
programmer and don't yet know how to use VBA (though I think i will be using
these things soon). I have looked myself and can't seem to find the right
things.

Cheers Tess

Hi Tess-Bristol,

If you export the data in a CSV format, it could be opened in Excel 2007. Alternatively, if you've got fewer than records, you
could
organise the fields by row instead of by column. That way, you can have up to 65536 fields.

--
Cheers
macropod
[Microsoft MVP - Word]

I am preparing a Word (Office 2003) form for our project to use to capture
data.

I am using fields to store data. I plan to then export the data from the
form and into excel (In Word: Tools/options/save/save data only for forms)

My problem (apart from not being a programmer) is that I have a lot of
fields and Excel will accept - at most 256 fields.

Is there a) a more elegant way
B) is it described somewhere how to import more than 256 items of data into
word. (I am using .txt documents with the data delimited by commas).
Many thanks

 

[Number-1-Zero]

You are correct. There is a 256 column limit in Excel 2003. With the level of
complexity that you're describing, it would be best to import your data into
a database such as SQL or Oracle (MS Access database would not help since
there is a 255 column limit).

As far as a more elegant way to collect data, Microsoft has a program called
"InfoPath" which allows you to collect data using forms in an email message,
a browser, or a document. More information and a free 60-day trial can be
accessed through their web-site:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/infopath/HA101656341033.aspx