Export lossless

[Georges Heinesch]

Hi.

I have a table, which I would like to export (only the data itself).
Which format is best to be used (.xls, .html, .rtf, .xml, ...)?

TIA

--
Georges

[Bas Cost Budde]

Georges Heinesch wrote:

Hi.

I have a table, which I would like to export (only the data itself).
Which format is best to be used (.xls, .html, .rtf, .xml, ...)?

TIA

I feel it highly depends on what you want to do with the data afterwards.

If you want to have just data, how about text 'format'? All other file
formats include numerous extra codes (.xls is famous for size, although
..doc is worse)

--
Bas Cost Budde
http://www.heuveltop.nl/BasCB

[phobos]

Georges Heinesch <ne**@geohei.lu> wrote in message news:<40********@news.vo.lu>...

Hi.

I have a table, which I would like to export (only the data itself).
Which format is best to be used (.xls, .html, .rtf, .xml, ...)?

I generally use CSV. If you absolutely, positively have to eliminate
every trace of formatting in the room, accept no substitutes.

Many other formats keep the data types (and when numbers come out as
text and a user wants to total them, you get to hear about it), or
come out weird when they import into their favourite app, or just
plain don't work for some reason. But you can't go wrong with a long,
long list of numbers and commas.

[Bernard Peek]

In message <af**************************@posting.google.com >, phobos
<ph*****@hotmail.com> writes

Georges Heinesch <ne**@geohei.lu> wrote in message
news:<40********@news.vo.lu>...

Hi.

I have a table, which I would like to export (only the data itself).
Which format is best to be used (.xls, .html, .rtf, .xml, ...)?

I generally use CSV. If you absolutely, positively have to eliminate
every trace of formatting in the room, accept no substitutes.

Many other formats keep the data types (and when numbers come out as
text and a user wants to total them, you get to hear about it), or
come out weird when they import into their favourite app, or just
plain don't work for some reason. But you can't go wrong with a long,
long list of numbers and commas.

Unless your data contains commas. It's usually better to use a pipe
character (|) as a separator, but I've come across data with those in it
too. These days I would usually opt for XML output, but it all depends
on the data and what I want to use it for.
--
Bernard Peek
London, UK. DBA, Manager, Trainer & Author. Will work for money.