I agree about Automation. I use it a lot in in-house utilities, but I don't want end-users to have to have Excel installed to output to an Excel spreadsheet. The user may want to just send an export to someone else who does have Excel. Also, I would have to do a lot of testing with different versions of Excel to make sure it would work correctly in the many different versions that are out there.

>>Well, the thing I'm worried about is that a .XLS extension signifies that a file is an Excel spreadsheet, which means a binary file with a format specific to Excel. I know, I'm being picky.
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>Yes. And I'm not necessarily opposed to being picky, mind you. Just a matter of whether it's material or not. But you have to be comfortable with the code.
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>If you use Mark's automation idea then you can just as easily do the COPY TO TYPE XLS, then automate Excel to delete the first row of field names, then Save.
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>That leaves your code fully self-documenting and the PWCA (programmer who comes after) will know exactly what your intention is. Or you could just write comments, but where's the fun in that?
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>Actually, the reason I didn't take this tact and why I probably won't automate it to save it is, is because I didn't want my export routine to force the user to have the application in order to use it. For example, it's nice to be able to save as a format you don't have but the person you're working with does have.
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>At least we have a couple of options now. That's a Good Thing (tm).