OL98: Truncated Data From Imported dBase File

• Microsoft Outlook 98
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

If you save a Microsoft Excel 97 workbook, containing a named range, in a dBase (*.dbf) file format and then import the dBase file into Microsoft Outlook 98, some of the data may be truncated.

CAUSE

If any cells in your named range are narrower than the width of the data, that data is truncated because it does not fit within the visual selection of the named range. When you save the Microsoft Excel file in a dBase format, the data in those narrow cells is truncated.

RESOLUTION

You can resolve this problem two ways.

• Do not save the file in dBase format; import the file that contains the named range from an Microsoft Excel workbook file format.



• If you use the dBase file format, make sure all columns are wide enough to accommodate the data before you define the named range.

MORE INFORMATION

When you define a named range in a Microsoft Excel worksheet, the data in the last column may appear outside of the selected area if the width of the column is narrower than its data. If you save the workbook as a dBase file and then import it into Outlook, the data that did not fit within the last column is truncated. If you use the same procedure, but save the file as an Microsoft Excel workbook file, the imported data is not truncated.

The following steps demonstrate this problem:

Create and Save a dBase File in Microsoft Excel

1. In a new Microsoft Excel workbook, type the following information into Sheet1:

   
        A           B          C
      +---------+--------+------------+
    1 |FirstName|LastName|HomePhone   |
      |---------|--------|------------|
    2 |John     |Doe     |111-222-3333|
      |---------|--------|------------|
    3 |Jane     |Doe     |444-555-6666|
      +---------+--------+------------+ 




2. Make sure that the width of column C is not wide enough to accommodate the telephone numbers. On most computers, the default width of column C is too narrow and the telephone numbers continue into column D.



3. Drag to select the range of cells A1:C3. Note that the telephone number digits that do not fit within column C appear outside of the visible selected range.



4. On the Insert menu, click Name and then click Define.



5. In "Names in workbook," type Contacts and click OK.



6. On the File menu, click Save As.



7. In File name, type Contacts.



8. In the "Save as type" list, click "DBF4(dBASE IV)(*.dbf)" and click Save.

Import the dBase File into Outlook Contacts

1. Start Outlook.



2. On the File menu, click Import And Export.



3. In the "Choose an action to perform" list, click to select "Import from another program or file" and click Next.



4. In the "Select file type to import from" list, click to select dBase and click Next.



5. In File To Import, type the path and file name of your Contacts.dbf file or click Browse to navigate to the file you saved in Microsoft Excel and click Next.



6. In the "Select destination folder" list, click your Contacts folder and click Next.



7. In "The following actions will be performed" list, click to select "Import 'Contacts.dbf' into the 'Contacts' folder." Click Finish.

REFERENCES

For more information on data lost saving in a dBase format from Microsoft Excel, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q46228 XL5: Data Lost When File Saved in .DBF File Format

Q180315 OL98: Importing from Microsoft Excel Requires Named Range

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbinterop IntpODBC
Version : WINDOWS:
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb