# Read/Write Live Date to Excel

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/read-write-live-date-to-excel/19249>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Created:** [August 14, 2018, 5:32pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/read-write-live-date-to-excel/19249 "2018-08-14T17:32:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Brandon.Hildebrand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Brandon.Hildebrand](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Brandon.Hildebrand)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 5:32pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/read-write-live-date-to-excel/19249/1 "2018-08-14T17:32:24Z")

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I am working on a conversion project and there is functionality in the old system that reads/writes live data between the HMI and excel. Is there a way to do that in Ignition?

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**Author:** ![brandon1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@brandon1](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/brandon1)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 7:37pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/read-write-live-date-to-excel/19249/2 "2018-08-14T19:37:20Z")

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I have been able to write data from Ignition to an Excel worksheet, but I had to write a custom module to add the Apache POI classes to Ignition. Please see the following post:

> [@Adding java custom classes to Ignition](http://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/adding-java-custom-classes-to-ignition/15202/11):
>
> I have been trying to add the Apache POI jar to my gateway using this method, but when I run a button with the following code under it: import org.apache.poi.xssf.usermodel.XSSFWorkbook I get the following error: Traceback (most recent call last): File “event:mousePressed”, line 1, in ImportError: No module named poi Ignition v7.9.6 (b2018012914) Java: Oracle Corporation 1.8.0\_161 I have both the packed and normal jar file under the common folder for the Ignition gateway. I also restar…

When making the module, make sure to include the correct version that the Reporting module uses, or it will not work.  
As a side note, if you don't have the reporting module you can probably just add the JAR file as described in the post above.

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**Author:** ![brandon1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@brandon1](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/brandon1)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 7:38pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/read-write-live-date-to-excel/19249/3 "2018-08-14T19:38:41Z")

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If you want a module that is already made there is one on the module marketplace:  
[https://inductiveautomation.com/moduleshowcase/module/perfect-abstractions-pa-office-document-module](https://inductiveautomation.com/moduleshowcase/module/perfect-abstractions-pa-office-document-module)