Pasting data from generic data sources.
Updated 27 Jul 2001

This document explains how to "import" data from "Generic" 
data sources.  (Another document explains how to "import" data 
from a Standard & Poor's Stock Report.)  This method can be 
used to get data from Value-Line reports in PDF format, various 
HTML sources (such as moneycentral.msn.com, multexinvestor.com, 
etc.), or any other source that allows data formatted as rows 
to be copied to the Windows clipboard.

To copy data from a PDF file to the clipboard, you will most 
likely use Adobe Acrobat Reader, or a web browser utilizing 
an Acrobat Reader plug-in.  Adobe Acrobat Reader is 
available for download on the internet at ...
  http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html

If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader version 3 you will not be 
able to select and copy text from a PDF file using the browser 
plug-in.  You will either need to upgrade to a later version, 
or you will need to figure out how to save the PDF file to your 
local disk and then view it using the full Acrobat Reader 
program.  Whether or not you are able to save the PDF file 
depends on how the particular web site you're using is setup.


**************************************************************
***  Before starting, you may want to go to the "VL Data"  ***
***          sheet and click on "Erase All Data".          ***
**************************************************************


1) Select a SINGLE ROW of the data you want and copy it to the 
Windows clipboard.  Select just the data (don't include any row 
title that may be present.)

  Exactly how this is accomplished will depend on the program 
  you're using to view the data.  In a web browser, this is 
  usually done by clicking and "dragging" the mouse to select 
  the text then right-clicking on the selection and choosing 
  "Copy".  In other programs, "Copy" may be a choice on the 
  "Edit" menu.  Using Acrobat Reader (or the v4 & v5 browser 
   plug-in), you must click on the "Text Select Tool" icon 
   (a large capital "T" in v4 & v5, and the letters "abc" in 
   v3) before you can select text.

2) On the "VL Data" sheet, click on the cell in the spreadsheet 
that should receive the left-most item of the data you selected 
in step (1).

3) Click on "Paste Generic Data".

4) Repeat steps 1-3 for each row of data you wish to copy.


*** Some things to note ***

In Microsoft Windows you can use Alt-Tab on the keyboard to 
switch back and forth between Acrobat Reader and Excel while you 
are copying and pasting data.

If the data in the clipboard is not numeric, it will be ignored.  
The only exception is when the active cell is not in the annual 
data rows or quarterly data columns.  In that case, whatever is 
in the clipboard will be put in that cell.

Numeric data items often have a non-numeric prefix with a special 
meaning.  For example:  in Value Line negative values are prefixed 
with "d" ("d0.32" for -0.32);  in Standard & Poor's estimated 
values are prefixed with "E".  When selecting data in step (1), 
be sure to include this prefix.  If start your selection by clicking 
in the middle of a number the entire number is usually selected, 
but the prefix often is not.

The spreadsheet cell selected in step (2) should always be the 
one that is to receive the left-most number from the selection 
made in step (1).  Depending on the cell selected in step (2), 
the data will be pasted into the spreadsheet row from right to 
left or from left to right.  It makes no difference in step (1) 
whether you start selecting at the left or right end of the row.  

Pasting stops when the spreadsheet row is filled.  If more data 
is copied than will fit on one row the extra data will be ignored 
(and you will receive a warning message).

The instructions suggest choosing "Copy" by right-clicking.  
Using a web browser plug-in, this may be the only method that works.  
If you're using Adobe Acrobat Reader (not the browser plug-in), 
you can also perform this operations from the Edit menu.  With 
the plug-in, "Copy" appears on the Edit menu but is not functional 
(at least, with version 3 and 4).

-Jim Thomas
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TSSW_Excel
