Opening vs Importing of Microsoft Excel

If you require full access to all of Origin's graphing and analysis features, you will probably want to import your Excel data files into Origin. If it is important to maintain a separate Excel workbook file -- perhaps, so that other colleagues who do not work with Origin have access to that file -- you will probably want to open your Excel data files.

Microsoft Office Excel 97-2003 workbooks (*.xls) and 2007 workbooks (*.xlsx, *xlsm) may be imported or opened into Origin.

Importing your Excel Workbook into an Origin Workbook

When you open your Excel file as an Origin workbook:

• You have no access to Excel's spreadsheet tools in Origin, but -- unlike the open Excel workbook option -- you gain full access to Origin's graphing and analysis features.
• Your data will no longer be connected to the source workbook. Changes you make to the data will not be reflected in the original workbook.

If you choose to import your Excel file into an Origin workbook, Origin creates a worksheet for each sheet in the Excel workbook and names the worksheets accordingly. Origin sets the column Format for each of the worksheet columns to Text & Numeric. If a workbook sheet includes formulas to calculate values, Origin displays the calculated values in the corresponding worksheet.

To import your Excel workbook into an Origin workbook:

1. Select File:Import Excel.
2. Choose your folder from the Look In drop-down list.
3. Choose your Excel workbook file from the File Name list box and click Open.

You can learn more about importing Excel documents into Origin, please see the impExcel X-Function reference.

Opening your Excel Workbook as an Excel Workbook

When you open your Excel file as an Excel workbook:

• You can use Excel's spreadsheet tools to process your data, within the Origin workspace.
• You can plot directly to one of Origin's 2D graph types. Once you have plotted your data in Origin, you can use Origin's graph customization and analysis tools to analyze your plot.
• You can save your Excel workbook externally, allowing you to link your Origin project to an external Excel workbook file. This allows you to dynamically link a shared Excel file with your Origin project file.
• Alternatively, you can save the workbook internally and it becomes part of your Origin project file. This makes it easy to bundle supporting Excel data files with your Origin project file and hand them off to a colleague.

If you choose to open your Excel file as an Excel workbook, Origin creates and names the workbook Bookn, where n is the lowest available number that does not duplicate an existing window name. Origin also displays the full path and the name of the Excel file in the Excel workbook title bar.

To open an Excel workbook as an Excel workbook:

1. Select File:Open Excel or click the Open Excel button on the Standard toolbar. Both open the Open dialog box with 'Excel 97-2003 Workbook(*.xls)' selected in the Files of Type drop-down list.
2. If want to open Excel 2007 workbooks, select 'Excel Workbook(*.xlsx, *.xlsm)' in the Files of Type drop-down list.
3. Choose your folder from the Look In drop-down list.
4. Choose your Excel workbook file from the File Name list box and click Open.