Using MSExcel for Q&A files

Question:

Marissa asked:

Can I create Q&A file with Excel? How to import this file to SuperMemo?

Answer outline

Yes. You could best write Qs and As in separate columns and then convert to Q&A format (see at Data exchange section). Some users wrote freeware apps for such conversions.

Answer 1

This is one of many possible algorithms:

1. Create an Excel file with two columns: column 1 with questions and column 2 with answers
2. Insert column filled with 'Q:' before the question column and column filled with 'A:' before the answer column
3. Save the file as CSV
4. Use any word processor to replace 'Q:,' with 'Q: ' and ',A:,' with '#13#10A: ' (where #13#10 stands for new line)
5. Save the Q&A file with the extension TXT

If you do not have any words processor with new line replacement you can also use Notepad and Internet Explorer:

1. In notepad replace 'Q:,' with '<p>Q: ' and ',A:,' with '<br>A: '
2. Save the file with extension HTM
3. open the file in Internet Explorer
4. Copy the content of the file back to Notepad and save with extension TXT

Use File : (Tools) : Import : Q&A Text in SuperMemo to import the Q&A file

Answer 2

A simpler algorithm can be used if you are yet to create the Excel file (btw: it would make more sense to start over in SuperMemo itself then!)

In one column put:

Q:

A:

Q:

A:

Etc.

In the second column:

Question 1

Answer 1

Question 2

Answer 2

Etc.

Save this Excel file as text. You have a Q&A file ready to be imported to SuperMemo

Answer 3

This is just to order the answers under the questions and add a blank between q&a pairs. To add the "Q:" and "A:" use the function "CONCATE" from the text functions menu. Assuming you have the right

1. Insert a column before the Questions colum and fill it with the sequence 1,2,3,4...
2. Insert a column before the Answers column and fill it with the sequence 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, ...
3. In case of Supermemo CE, you need a blank line before the new question so fill a column with 1.6, 2.6, 3.6, ...
4. Copy the Question column and the one with the 1,2,3... into a new sheet (values only!)
5. Underneath do the same thing with the answer questions and the 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 column so that text goes with text and answers with answers
6. Do the same thing also for the extra column (1.6, 2.6, 3.6, ...) together with a blank one so othat the numbers go together and the blank spaces go underneath the questions and answers
7. Select both columns (one with the indexes the other with the questions answers and blanks) and order them by the index column so that it comes to be something like
   1. 1 question
   2. 1.5 answer
   3. 1.6 blank
   4. 2 question
   5. 2.5 answer
   6. 2.6 blank ...
8. Copy the question-answer-blank column in a text editor (text only!) and save it as a txt file. If you are using a Japanese PDA with WindowsCE you will want to save it with Shift-JIS
9. Import it to SuperMemo "Import Q&A file"

Answer

You can export your file from excel as text, paste it to SuperMemo, and process with the tools of incremental reading. This might be the best method: minimum overhead in addition to the actual learning.

See also:

• Importing_Q&A_from_Excel
• Data_formats_and_exchange
• File menu