[R] Excel *.xls files, RODBC

[Rolf Turner]

Chuck Cleland wrote:

> The following works for me under WinXP Pro to create "myframe" as a 
> data frame:
> 
> library(RODBC)
> z <- odbcConnectExcel("c:/myfolder/mydata.xls")
> myframe <- sqlFetch(z, "Sheet1")
> close(z)

I tried that and got the error message:

Error: couldn't find function "odbcConnectExcel"

> Are you indicating the name of the worksheet you want within the
> *.xls file?  I suspect there could be additional issues on a
> non-Windows OS that I don't know about.

On which Brian Ripley commented:

> Most notably the absence of an Excel ODBC driver.

I guess that's the problem.  In my initial message I forgot to
indicate that I am working on a Linux box.  Sorry; mea culpa.

It would appear then, that there is NO WAY to read Excel files into R
save by transporting them to a Windoze system, saving them as .csv
files and then transporting these back reading them into R.  A bit
unsatisfactory, but it ***is*** a workaround.

Thanks to all who contributed advice/comments.

					cheers,

						Rolf Turner
						rolf at math.unb.ca