So we have a requirement to use the EXL07 format for a client's reports. They are wanting us to break up logical sections of the report with borders to make it easier for the end users to read the report, but for some reason while I can get these working on EXL2K I can't get them to show up at all on EXL07.

I have tried the normal:

TYPE=DATA,
     COLUMN=N2,
     BORDER-LEFT=MEDIUM,
$

I have also made an xltx template file with the borders pre-defined in the template, but that also fails. All of the borders are stripped out of the template. The only thing it kept in my test template was the tab name.

The only solutions we've come up with so far is to put in blank columns, but the client is opposed to that because they have some automated processes that source the excel files.

Has anyone found a good way to add borders to Excel 2007+?

Thanks,

Ed

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kerry,

If you select EXL2K the line will be inserted in Excel 2007 but you do get a warning about an incompatible version. You should probably open a case for this as a bug.

Hi Smithec,

I'm sure that CAN be done. Can you make an example of that with an IB Sample file such as the infamous CAR file so I / we can show you an example?

Hey Doug,

Sorry for the late reply, but got sidetracked on another project. The file I was working on is below.

-* File Spacingtest.fex
TABLE FILE CAR
-*     BORDER-LEFT=LIGHT,
-*     BORDER-LEFT=MEDIUM,
-*     BORDER-LEFT=HEAVY,
PRINT 
     CAR.COMP.CAR
     CAR.CARREC.MODEL
     CAR.BODY.BODYTYPE
     CAR.BODY.SEATS
     CAR.BODY.DEALER_COST
     CAR.BODY.RETAIL_COST
     CAR.BODY.SALES
     CAR.SPECS.LENGTH
     CAR.SPECS.WIDTH
     CAR.SPECS.HEIGHT
     CAR.SPECS.WEIGHT
ON TABLE SET PAGE-NUM NOLEAD 
ON TABLE NOTOTAL
ON TABLE PCHOLD FORMAT EXL07 TEMPLATE 'excel07template' SHEETNUMBER 1
ON TABLE SET HTMLCSS ON
ON TABLE SET STYLE *
     INCLUDE = endeflt,
$
TYPE=REPORT,
     GRAPHCOLOR='GREEN',
$
TYPE=DATA,
     COLUMN=N2,
     BORDER-LEFT=MEDIUM,
$
TYPE=REPORT,
     OBJECT=MENU,
     COLOR='WHITE',
     HOVER-COLOR=RGB(66 70 73),
     BACKCOLOR=RGB(102 102 102),
     HOVER-BACKCOLOR=RGB(218 225 232),
     BORDER-COLOR='WHITE',
$
TYPE=REPORT,
     OBJECT=STATUS-AREA,
     COLOR='WHITE',
     BACKCOLOR=RGB(102 102 102),
$
TYPE=REPORT,
     OBJECT=CURRENT-ROW,
     HOVER-BACKCOLOR=RGB(218 225 232),
     BACKCOLOR=RGB(200 200 200),
$
TYPE=REPORT,
     OBJECT=CALC-AREA,
     COLOR='WHITE',
     BACKCOLOR=RGB(102 102 102),
$
ENDSTYLE
END

I don't think the template file helps, but if it matters I pre-styled the columns I wanted to have the border in that template, but all those styles appear to be overwritten by the fex output.

As Alex stated above this works fine in EXL2K but not in EXL07 which is part of the design requirements for my current project.

-Ed

You're out of luck I'm afraid. This is from Dev Studio help files -

---

Reference: Support for Excel Templates
EXL2K and EXL2K FORMULA are the only formats supported and Excel templates will only work with Excel 2002 and higher versions.

The following are not supported with Excel templates: EXL2K PIVOT, EXL2K BYTOC reports, EXL97, EXCEL, and compound Excel reports.

With EXL2K TEMPLATE format, WEBARCHIVE is automatically on.

The PCHOLD command returns an .xmh file, which the mid-tier converts to an .mht. HOLD creates an .xht file

---

Whilst it doesn't exactly state EXL07 in the second section, it can be implied from the statement about creating an .xmh file etc. at the end. EXL07 output creates an .xlsx file which is "true" MS Excel 2007 binary.

T

I've always found borders to be somewhat untrustworthy when outputting to excel. They never have seemed to work right. As a workaround, you might be able to build a macro to place the border seperation into the report. Its not pretty, but it might get you there.