iGetExcel

What is iGetExcel?

iGetExcel is an Excel reader and import tool for IBM i (AS/400) that allows you to display Excel spreadsheets directly in the 5250 dialogue and then transfer them in a structured manner to database files. Instead of laboriously converting Excel data or manually re-entering it, you can read XLS, XLSX and CSV files ‘natively’, check the contents immediately on screen and then start transferring them to a new or existing file. iGetExcel supports you with convenient mapping tools so that Excel columns can be assigned to specific database fields.

For productive workflows, it is particularly relevant that iGetExcel can run both interactively and fully automatically in the background. This is ideal if you want to integrate recurring data imports into existing jobs, CL processes or interface processes. In batch mode, a plausibility check before transfer ensures that consistent data is processed as a priority; alternatively, a ‘best possible’ transfer can be used if data sets are heterogeneous. In addition, conversion options are available, e.g. for date fields, which are often in serial format in Excel.

Advantages for your company

• Reduce manual effort when transferring Excel data to IBM i processes.
• Increase data quality through plausibility checks and defined mapping rules.
• Accelerate recurring imports through background automation.
• Make your further processing more flexible: import into DB2 files or as a sequential file.

Highlights of iGetExcel

• Display of each table in the 5250 subfile with immediate visual inspection
• Import into new files or add/replace records in existing files
• Batch operation with plausibility checks and optional ‘best effort’ transfer
• Regular updates
• Assign Excel columns to database fields with convenient tools
• Can be automated via CL command (interactive or fully automatic)

Important features of iGetExcel

• Support for common formats: XLS (including older Excel formats), XLSX and CSV
• Reusable mapping (including ‘fast path’ process for quick subsequent runs)
• Output either as an external database file or as a sequential file (cell-based)
• Configurable field/data type determination and field length determination when creating new files
• Date/format conversions, especially for serial Excel date values
• Easy selection of the source file from the IFS (Integrated File System)
• Licensing typically depends on the system/environment (e.g. model/processor/LPARs)

If you regularly integrate Excel-based data deliveries into your IBM i applications, iGetExcel helps you set up imports in a standardised, traceable and automated manner.

Contact the provider to discuss your import requirements, licensing and integration scenarios (dialogue vs. batch) in detail.