# Export to Excel with & character

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/export-to-excel-with-character/7058>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Created:** [August 15, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/export-to-excel-with-character/7058 "2013-08-15T19:10:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![weertske](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/weertske/32/3353_2.png) [@weertske](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/weertske)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/export-to-excel-with-character/7058/1 "2013-08-15T19:10:03Z")

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I have created a form for my customer to enter analytical results into their database. After entering the days data, the operator presses a button which triggers the script for creating an Excel spreadsheet that they then email to their boss. Everything normally works fine, except when the comment column contains \>, \<, or &. In that case, the underlying XML code generated by the script is corrupted and can not be opened by Excel. I suggest that the script “system.dataset.exportExcel” needs modification to handle this.

We are using Ignition 7.5.8

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**Author:** ![weertske](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/weertske/32/3353_2.png) [@weertske](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/weertske)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/export-to-excel-with-character/7058/2 "2013-09-06T17:12:57Z")

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Any moderators out there? A simple “We’re working on it” or “This is how you fix it” would be appreciated.

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**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 5:19pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/export-to-excel-with-character/7058/3 "2013-09-06T17:19:17Z")

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Sorry, this post slipped through the cracks. I just made a ticket for this so it should get some attention soon.

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**Author:** ![nmudge](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nmudge/32/3394_2.png) [@nmudge](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/nmudge)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/export-to-excel-with-character/7058/4 "2013-09-06T17:21:34Z")

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Before creating the Excel spreadsheet try replacing \< with \< and \> with \> and & with &

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**Author:** ![drewdin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/drewdin/32/3363_2.png) [@drewdin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/drewdin)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/export-to-excel-with-character/7058/5 "2013-09-06T18:56:00Z")

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if you use this make sure to convert back to the \<, \>, & before you create the excel doc

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**Author:** ![weertske](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/weertske/32/3353_2.png) [@weertske](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/weertske)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/export-to-excel-with-character/7058/6 "2013-09-06T19:06:48Z")

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nmudge: Thank you for the tip, I may end up using it. However, I spend a lot of time training my customers to let me know if there is a problem with my code rather than sub-optimizing it by creating a way to work-around a mistake in the code. Likewise, I believe the programmers at IA want to know when there code does not behave as expected.

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**Author:** ![Carl.Gould](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/carl.gould/32/7262_2.png) [@Carl.Gould](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Carl.Gould)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/export-to-excel-with-character/7058/7 "2013-09-23T18:35:38Z")

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This has been fixed for 7.6.4

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**Author:** ![weertske](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/weertske/32/3353_2.png) [@weertske](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/weertske)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/export-to-excel-with-character/7058/8 "2013-09-23T18:38:02Z")

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Thank you ![:thumb_left:](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/1X/e26afb081ddde6df016df6ee49159cf56aaca688.gif ":thumb\_left:")