R help - Jun 2011 - trying to import xls or xlsx files

library(xlsReadWrite)
mydata<-read.xls("file path", header=TRUE)

however if I change xls to csv it works just fine. Any ideas what I'm doing
wrong? I have have also using the package gdata with the exact same error.

Below is the error that pops up.

Error in findPerl(verbose = verbose) : 
  perl executable not found. Use perl= argument to specify the correct path.
Error in file.exists(tfn) : invalid 'file' argument



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On Thu, Jun 23, 2011 at 2:00 PM, wwreith <reith_william at bah.com>
wrote:
> library(xlsReadWrite)
> mydata<-read.xls("file path", header=TRUE)
>
> however if I change xls to csv it works just fine. Any ideas what I'm
doing
> wrong? I have have also using the package gdata with the exact same error.
>
> Below is the error that pops up.
>
> Error in findPerl(verbose = verbose) :
> ?perl executable not found. Use perl= argument to specify the correct path.
> Error in file.exists(tfn) : invalid 'file' argument
>
Regarding the read.xls in gdata the error message means that either
perl is not installed or else its not on your path.  If its in
~/bin/perl, say,  then  try:

library(gdata)
DF <- read.xls("myfile", ...whatever..., perl =
"~/bin/perl")

or if you are on Windows and its in C:\Perl\bin\perl.exe, say, then try:

library(gdata)
DF <- read.xls("myfile", ...whatever..., perl =
"C:\\Perl\\bin\\perl.exe")

Alternately put perl on your path and then you can omit the perl= argument.

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email: ggrothendieck at gmail.com

Gabor's answer explains the error perfectly. You might want to look at the
xlsx package as well as the RODBC package if you're on Windows. RODBC is
really fast, if you can use it.

Abhijit

On Jun 23, 2011, at 2:00 PM, wwreith <reith_william at bah.com> wrote:
> library(xlsReadWrite)
> mydata<-read.xls("file path", header=TRUE)
> 
> however if I change xls to csv it works just fine. Any ideas what I'm
doing
> wrong? I have have also using the package gdata with the exact same error.
> 
> Below is the error that pops up.
> 
> Error in findPerl(verbose = verbose) : 
>  perl executable not found. Use perl= argument to specify the correct path.
> Error in file.exists(tfn) : invalid 'file' argument
> 
> 
> 
> --
> View this message in context:
http://r.789695.n4.nabble.com/trying-to-import-xls-or-xlsx-files-tp3620580p3620580.html
> Sent from the R help mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> 
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at r-project.org mailing list
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide
http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.

On Jun 23, 2011, at 2:00 PM, wwreith wrote:
> library(xlsReadWrite)
> mydata<-read.xls("file path", header=TRUE)
>
> however if I change xls to csv it works just fine. Any ideas what  
> I'm doing
> wrong? I have have also using the package gdata with the exact same  
> error.
>
> Below is the error that pops up.
>
> Error in findPerl(verbose = verbose) :
>  perl executable not found. Use perl= argument to specify the  
> correct path.
> Error in file.exists(tfn) : invalid 'file' argument
Your error message suggests you do not have a suitable version of Perl  
installed.

-- 
David Winsemius, MD
West Hartford, CT