Why doesn't Confluence like Excel / Word tables?

[Julie Tholen]

I copied and pasted a formatted Word table onto a Confluence page and it almost had a hissy fit!! It held the basic table format, but the font went bonkers in some cases and one cell was totally hosed up, I couldn't even get my cursor in it. I ended up fiddling with the source code.

It was suggested that I try the copy and paste via Excel - yeah, that didn't work.

SO, now I had an analyst come up and ask if there was a way to get a 300 line Excel spreadsheet into Confluence. 

HELP. Please, would someone explain how best to get Word / Excel tables into Confluence without them becoming all screwed up? I am obviously missing something (as I am in my 3rd week of using Confluence, that is NOT surprising at all)... Many thanks!!

[Jonathan Smith]

Personal opinion: I advise users who have large or complicated Excel spreadsheets to save them in a file list instead of trying to recreate as an article. Large tables in Confluence can be slow to load in view or editing mode.

You can also display the spreadsheet using the {office excel macro (after importing the file onto the page), but you are essentially still working the source file instead of a Confluence table.

[Julie Tholen]

Thanks very much!!! I used the PowerPoint macro and everyone was impressed with that. I will pass on the advise about the Excel FileList and macro ...

[Karen Cheung]

I have the same problem except my table/chart is a very simple 10 x 10 chart.

Can you please further explains the steps of how to add those office excel macro? 
when I do copy and paste, it just lost all the chart formatting.

I really do not prefer to use it as a file list. Thank you. 

[Julie Tholen]

Hi Karen,

As best as I can tell you upload the Excel spread to your space. Then go to the page that you want to display it on. Select the Insert More Content option (+V). Search for Excel in the macro field. Once selected it will ask you what Excel file you would like to display. Good luck! Let me know if it works for you.

[Ellen de Groot]

Hi Julie,

Do you also have a good suggestion for a Word Table? I would appreciate your help.

[Julie Tholen]

Well, it depends. Is the content of the table static? If yes, make it pretty in word and then do a screenshot and save the image, c&p onto the page. Save the original table in case it needs to be updated.

If it is a table that has dynamic data, you will just have to use either a page trmplate that has a table built in or a table macro or the plan Jane confluence table option.  Make friends with a code jockey that has admon rights.