BackSpreadsheets on the Field PC
8 Dec 2008
Note: This information is provided as a reference and does not imply that Juniper Systems will provide full support for the use of any specific third-party device or software with a Juniper Systems product.
Spreadsheets can be viewed and edited on the rugged handheld computer using the included Microsoft Office Mobile Excel (in Windows Mobile on the Allegro 2, Archer 2, Mesa, TK6000, Archer, and Allegro MX) or Z4Soft PTab (in Microsoft Windows CE on Allegro CX, CE, CE/DOS).
Common spreadsheet programs used on our handhelds are as follows.
- Microsoft Office Mobile (Excel)
- Z4Soft PTab
- SoftMaker Office (PlanMaker)
File Format Recommendation
It is recommended to "Save As" and edit spreadsheet files on the handheld (even on older models) in the full Microsoft Excel 2003 (XLS) format (or optionally Excel 2007 (XLSX) format in Office Mobile 6.1 or higher). This recommendation is based on the following facts:
- Separate and increased available storage memory on newer Field PC models no longer require conversion to compact Pocket Excel (PXL) and PTab (PT) file formats
- Microsoft ActiveSync 4.x and WMDC no longer defaults to converting XLS to PXL format
- The PTab ActiveSync File Converter (Filter) is no longer supported by Z4Soft and not compatible with ActiveSync 4.x and WMDC
- Support for increased spreadsheet sizes (256 sheets x 65536 rows x 256 columns)Note: PTab 3.0 or higher may be required. Even larger sizes may be supported with XLSX format in Office Mobile 6.1 and higher.
Microsoft Office Mobile Excel does not recognize CSV files, so you can not immediately open them in that program. But you could open CSV files in another spreadsheet program such as listed above.
Spreadsheet File Association
If you want to make specific file extensions (such as CSV, TXT, etc.) be associated with Excel Mobile, Word Mobile, or some other program you have installed (so you can just tap to load them from File Explorer), you could change the Windows registry using a registry editor as listed at the following link.
Windows CE/Mobile registry editors
Then add registry keys such as the following. The example given is for associating CSV files with Word Mobile (since Excel Mobile will not recognize them even after being associated).
[\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.csv] string (Default) = "csvfile" string ContentType = "text/plain"
[\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\csvfile\DefaultIcon] string (Default) = "officeres.dll,-13073"
[\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\csvfile\Shell\Open\Command] string Data="pword.exe %1"
[\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\csvfile\Shell\OpenDoc\Command] string Data="pword.exe -opendoc %1"
If you have alternatively installed Z4Soft PTab for use with CSV and/or XLS files in Windows Mobile, the following Windows registry keys will associate the file type(s) with PTab.
[\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.csv]string (Default) = "ptfile"
[\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.xls]string (Default) = "ptfile"
[\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ptfile\DefaultIcon]string (Default) = "\Program Files\PTab\PTab.exe,0"
[\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ptfile\Shell\Open\Command]string (Default) = ""\Program Files\PTab\PTab.exe" "%1""
