Re: Importing tab-delimited text files or connecting to ODBC

[Tim McNamara]

Maks Romih <maksr@snt.si> writes:

> "Eric Pement" <pemente@northpark.edu> writes:
>
>> Maks Romih wrote:
>> 
>> > [...] I want to have some tool to connect to or import from other
>> > data sources, especially relational DBMS-es, excel, MS Access,
>> > etc.
>> 
>> I think the difficulty with your search being fulfilled is that you
>> are hoping to have Emacs, which is GNU-founded "free software",
>> find a way to import data structures created by proprietary,
>> non-free software. I suggest that there could be a philosophical
>> hesitation for some people in getting free software to support
>> commercial, non-free software. I think we're lucky to get GNU Emacs
>> available for WinNT!
>
> I'm exploring these possibilities exactly because I'm not satisfied
> with "non-free software".

I would recommend comparing what file types Emacs can import into the
major modes of interest to you, and then seeing what the unfree
applications can export.  For example, there are many types of
spreadsheet and database file formats that are cross-compatible.  CSV,
SYLK, etc.  Many unfree applications do support file types that free
software applications can read.