This page gives you information about the features of the Excel2Ingres application.

Your highly-paid, expert staff probably spend a good deal of unfulfilling and unproductive time in taking information from one system, and working out how to get it into another system.

Excel2Ingres makes the job a lot easier for them. It will take input data, analyse it, and work out the best structure to put it into an Ingres table. It will even let the user move it to and from the Ingres server at the click of a button.

Sound simple? The principle of it is, but so often it's the simple things, repeated time and time again, that eat into valuable resources.

So make your expert DBA and Analyst/Programmers lives easier, and free up resources into the bargain! Kit them up with Excel2Ingres.

Amongst the most time-consuming and down-right boring tasks for anybody in charge of transferring data from one system to another during a conversion exercise, for example, to a new product, has to be the task of analysing the data input files, choosing the correct field types and lengths for each field, checking the data for anomalous characters (e.g. commas) that would mess up the load of data, and then producing a correct definition for the data. Finally, perhaps Ingres will allow you to copy the data in without a hitch. How many times has it worked first time for you?

Using Excel2Ingres your first-time hit rate will be getting closer to that 100% mark within minutes of you using the product.

It is incredibly simple to use. Take a source file - e.g. an Excel spreadsheet, a comma-separated or tab-delimited file, even a database file. Anything that Excel can read. Click a button to load it into your current spreadsheet. 30 seconds work.

You may want to customize how the load is going to work - e.g. specify you don't want null values allowed. Another 30 seconds work.

Now perform the conversion. That is, click on a button. Another 10 seconds passes. Done!

Now FTP the definitions and data to the Unix Server. Another button click. Done in a few seconds.

Now switch to your Telnet session to create the database. Run the created SQL script to create the database from Unix. Another 30 seconds work.

It loaded first time! That's from importing of data, to analysis of data, to production of load scripts and data to FTPing the data across, to table creation, all done in about three minutes. How long would it have taken you before Excel2Ingres?

But wait! Having performed some analysis, you want to capture the results of an ISQL select. Try printing out those thirty columns from Unix! Of course, you could always import the results file into Excel2Ingres in one simple step, and produce a properly formatted spreadsheet with field headings. That would make life easy!

So from data conversion to ISQL printing, Excel2Ingres can only make your day-to-day Ingres working a whole lot easier.

So try it. Then you'll want to buy it!

• Shareware, so you have 30 days to try before you buy, and you can pass the shareware version on to colleagues for them to try.
• Works from within Excel, so familiar and easy-to-use interface.
• Seven simple buttons to take you through the data conversion process in one-click steps.
• Comprehensive help built into Excel2Ingres spreadsheet with easy-to-reference Contents section.
• Sample data with explanatory text supplied for you to play with.
• Organize your data within an excel workbook. Have one worksheet per table to be created.
• Import from anything that can be imported by Excel, direct into the currently selected worksheet.
• Import data from Ingres ISQL results file. This allows for easier formatting of data SELECTed from Ingres.
• FTP data to/from the server on which Ingres resides with a single click of a button. Integrates seamlessly with the inbuilt Windows 95/98 FTP.
• Filter unwanted characters (e.g. commas and quotes) from source data, and automatically replace with something more suitable.
• Will take the first row as field names where available, or supply default names otherwise.
• Works out field types and lengths, and whether nullable according to data in columns automatically.
• Output data as either comma or tab delimited file.
• Files automatically created include data file, data definition / table creation / global permissions creation file (copy.in), data output file (copy.out), and FTP scripts to import / export data.
• Facility to view generated file (e.g. to check them before FTPing them to server).
• Various customization options, including: specify TAB or COMMA delimited file, COMMA/QUOTES replacement, specify which files to include/exclude from generation process, allow nullable fields, give nullable fields WITH DEFAULT, FLOAT type, extra padding at end of varchar fields, FTP login details, and more...

New features for Version 2:-

• Char fields < 8 chars set to CHAR instead of VARCHAR to save space
• Set the number of chars at which to switch from CHAR to VARCHAR
• New screen to allow changing of parameters with easy interface.
• Output sample SELECT, INSERT, or UPDATE scripts based on the table
• New parameters to choose whether or not to output these scripts
• Can specify which directory to put results, other than default
• Can FTP & Import in one click, an ISQL SELECT results file
• Improved modularization to reduce code size and improve reuse
• Help covers new features, plus has a Version Changes section