Creating Excel File - POI

[Abid Hasnain]

Hi,

I am having problem with the version of .xls file that is generated using POI API. the program that I have to provide an .xls file requires Ms excel format of "Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook".

How can I save the file in this format.

Regards,
Abid Hasnain

[Ulf Dittmer]

What, exactly, is the problem? What code are you using to create the file?

[Abid Hasnain]

public static String generateOrderFile() {
		
		String path = new String();
		
		HSSFWorkbook workbook = new HSSFWorkbook();

		HSSFSheet firstSheet = workbook.createSheet();

		HSSFRow headerRow = firstSheet.createRow(0);
		(headerRow.createCell(0)).setCellValue(new HSSFRichTextString("Type"));

		FileOutputStream fos = null;
		try {
			fos = new FileOutputStream(new File("CreateExcelDemo.xls"));
			workbook.write(fos);
		} catch (IOException e) {
			e.printStackTrace();
		} finally {
			if (fos != null) {
				try {
					fos.flush();
					fos.close();
				} catch (IOException e) {
					e.printStackTrace();
				}
			}
		}
		
		return "/CreateExcelDemo.xls";
	}

This is a simple code. Now the excel created through this code is an excel version that cannot be read by a third party application that is using my excel file. This application requires an excel file that is a Ms excel version "Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook".

So I want to know how can i save the workbook file in this format.

Thanks,
Abid Hasnain

[Ulf Dittmer]

You may be out of luck. From the HSSF page: HSSF is the POI Project's pure Java implementation of the Excel '97(-2007) file format. - which is probably not readable by an app that only understands Excel 5.0/95.

[Abid Hasnain]

Thankyou for you reply. Is there any other API that I can use which can construct the above required excel format.

Thanks,
Abid Hasnain

[Ulf Dittmer]

Not to my knowledge. The other major Java Excel API -jExcelApi- also creates Excel 97 files (as I'm sure you've found out by now on its web site).

You might be able to use OpenOffice through its Java API; I'm not sure if it supports that particular file format, though, but its documentation would tell you quickly.