Importing numbers from Excel

I've got an Excel file with some numbers in it. When I import the file
into Filemaker the precision appears to oddly change.

For instance, I type this number in Excel, 5.42563 and it shows up in
Excel that way and if I export my Excel workbook as a text file it
shows in a text editor as 5.42563. However, after importing into
Filemaker, that number shows up like this: 5.4256299999999999528.
Doesn't matter if I import the Excel file or the text file. Every
number in those files comes in with extra precision to them.

Any ideas why it does this and/or how to stop it?

Re: Importing numbers from Excel

Post removed (X-No-Archive: yes)

Re: Importing numbers from Excel

On 2007-11-30 09:55:31 -0600, Martin Trautmann said:

> On Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:59:02 -0600, Doug Anderson wrote:
>> I've got an Excel file with some numbers in it. When I import the file
>> into Filemaker the precision appears to oddly change.
>>
>> For instance, I type this number in Excel, 5.42563 and it shows up in
>> Excel that way and if I export my Excel workbook as a text file it
>> shows in a text editor as 5.42563. However, after importing into
>> Filemaker, that number shows up like this: 5.4256299999999999528.
>> Doesn't matter if I import the Excel file or the text file. Every
>> number in those files comes in with extra precision to them.
>>
>> Any ideas why it does this and/or how to stop it?
>
> It looks like a typical rounding error. The problem may be the number
> itself, which might be 5.4256299999999999528, although Excel does not
> display it as such. It might be a problem of the Excel format, which FMP
> does not understand or it might be a problem of FMP itself. It may even
> depend on which version of Excel and FMP you do use.
>
> Try to verify what other tools make out of this number (e.g.
> OpenOffice, xl2html etc.)

That is the odd bit because I have tried various file formats as well
as using the files with other apps and they bring in the numbers
without issues. Heck, I dumped the data as a text file and in the text
file it clearly shows 5.4 as a number, yet it comes in to FM as
5.399999999999

Re: Importing numbers from Excel

I need to import numbers from an Excel file regularly. Before I Import,
while in Excel I copy the offending column and then Paste Special selecting
Value only. What you see now is what you get. If you need to keep the
original rounded data I suggest you add a new column to import the Pasted
value. It works for me every time.
Carl

"Doug Anderson" wrote in message
news:2007113008590216807-dougcpa@maccom...
> I've got an Excel file with some numbers in it. When I import the file
> into Filemaker the precision appears to oddly change.
>
> For instance, I type this number in Excel, 5.42563 and it shows up in
> Excel that way and if I export my Excel workbook as a text file it shows
> in a text editor as 5.42563. However, after importing into Filemaker,
> that number shows up like this: 5.4256299999999999528. Doesn't matter if
> I import the Excel file or the text file. Every number in those files
> comes in with extra precision to them.
>
> Any ideas why it does this and/or how to stop it?
>