About using with Microsoft Excel

How do I download of tab-delimited water data into Microsoft Excel?

Many users have found that when they retrieved the data in tab-delimited format (rdb) they can create an Excel macro to transform the information so it can be rendered easily into MS Excel. Sorry, we cannot program your macros for you.

Excel 2007/2010: Select the Data tab, the Get External Data Group, and then the From Web button. Follow the prompts.
Excel 2003: Use the Web Query Tool, which can be found under the Data menu. Choose the Import External Data Menu option under that menu.

More advanced users will find ways of using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) available in Excel to do programmatic logic. In most cases, it is difficult to fully automate the process.

How do I convert a tab-delimited RDB file to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet?

Instructions for Excel 2007 and Excel 2010:

When prompted by your browser, save the downloaded file with a .txt extension. If you are not prompted, after the file is downloaded rename it to give it a .txt extension.
Start Microsoft Excel 2007 or Excel 2010.
For Excel 2007, click on the Office Button, then Open. For Excel 2010, click on the File tab, then Open.
Select the file, then press the Open button.
A Text Import Wizard should appear. Select all the defaults. (It should be a three-step process.)
You may choose to adjust the columns to see data in certain columns. If the text is too big to fit in the column, you will see a series of # signs.
Add or delete rows and columns if you wish
To save as a spreadsheet:
- If Office 2007, press the Office Button. In Office 2010, press the File tab.
- Select Save As
- Navigate to the drive and/or folder where you want to save the data
- Select "Microsoft Office Excel Workbook", and then press Save. Note that the file will have a .xlsx extension. The original file should still be available with a .txt extension.

Instructions for Excel 2003:

When prompted by your browser, save the file with a .txt extension. If you are not prompted, after the file is downloaded rename it to give it a .txt extension.
Start Microsoft Excel 2003.
Select File on the menu, then Open under the File menu
In the "Files of Type" control, select Text Files
Use the "Look In" control to navigate to the folder containing the file you downloaded
Select the file, then press the Open button
A Text Import wizard should appear. Select all the defaults. (It should be a three-step process.)
You may choose to adjust the columns to see data in certain columns. If the text is too big to fit in the column, you will see a series of # signs.
Add or delete rows and columns if you wish
To save as a spreadsheet:
- Select File on the menu
- Select Save As under the File menu.
- In the "Save as Type" control, select "Microsoft Office Excel Workbook"
- Press Save. The original file should still be available with a .txt extension.