# Create UDT from Excel (exported to JSON or XML) **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Tags:** ignition81\ **Created:** [June 11, 2022, 12:53pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/create-udt-from-excel-exported-to-json-or-xml/60649 "2022-06-11T12:53:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FreddyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FreddyR](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/FreddyR)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 12:53pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/create-udt-from-excel-exported-to-json-or-xml/60649/1 "2022-06-11T12:53:55Z")
Hi all, What would be the best way to create UDTs from Excel, where you export the excel file into xml or JSON file ready to be imported to designer? ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 1:47pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/create-udt-from-excel-exported-to-json-or-xml/60649/2 "2022-06-11T13:47:25Z")
I’d be shocked if you could make Excel do that. Consider using v8.1’s Apache POI library to script the reading of your excel file and generate appropriate calls to `system.tag.configure()`. ---
**Author:** ![FreddyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FreddyR](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/FreddyR)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 1:59pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/create-udt-from-excel-exported-to-json-or-xml/60649/3 "2022-06-11T13:59:57Z")
Hi @pturmel , Not nessecary directly from excel to JSON or XML. Although there is an option to export XML from excel based on schema file you add to excel. the schema is an export from a UDT. but it doesnt work anyway. asking my question is different way, What would be the best way to generate big UDT from excel? there must be a script . I checked this one, [ignition-tag-import-master](https://github.com/corygrube/ignition-tag-import), not much luck with it. ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 2:02pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/create-udt-from-excel-exported-to-json-or-xml/60649/4 "2022-06-11T14:02:27Z")
> [@FreddyR](#): > > there must be a script . Why do you say this? Such a script won't exist until someone is motivated to write it. Like you. I despise Excel, so it won't be me. ---
**Author:** ![FreddyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FreddyR](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/FreddyR)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 2:09pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/create-udt-from-excel-exported-to-json-or-xml/60649/5 "2022-06-11T14:09:20Z")
> [@pturmel](#): > > Why do you say this I dont want to reinvent the wheel. I shouldn't be the the first person to create multiple big UDTs with script in this platform. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 2:15pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/create-udt-from-excel-exported-to-json-or-xml/60649/6 "2022-06-11T14:15:38Z")
You aren’t, in general. There are many posts here where users are manipulating XML or json to automate tag operations via imports, along with scripted tag operations. You asked about doing so with Excel. None of those that I can recall. Excel simply isn’t a good platform for complex json/xml entities. ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 2:21pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/create-udt-from-excel-exported-to-json-or-xml/60649/7 "2022-06-11T14:21:10Z")
Here’s a start: [https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/search?q=generate%20tag%20xml%20import](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/search?q=generate%20tag%20xml%20import) Huh. There’s even a topic with Excel.