Lotus to Matrix
spreadsheet file converter

LtoM.exe is a half-hearted attempt at converting Lotus spreadsheet files to Matrix. It can read in a Lotus "wk1" file and produce a Matrix v2.0 version. But this conversion is far from perfect. This program is provided only as an experiment for the benefit of users who have lots of old Lotus 123 files they want to try out in Matrix..

Incompatibilities between Matrix and Lotus
Although Matrix has a number of functions which are similar to those in Lotus 123, they are only a subset of Lotus’ functions. Also, Matrix has some functions such as BIGDAYS() which Lotus doesn’t support. Matrix uses a slightly different syntax, for example, for entering ranges, the colon is used instead of the two dots .., and when entering a function that takes no argument you must use empty parentheses, like this @TODAY().  Matrix lacks a number of the features of Lotus such as split windows and many of the database functions. Matrix cannot display numbers in date format in a single cell. A Lotus spreadsheet can have 256 columns by 8192 rows, Matrix only supports a sheet of 26 columns by 800 rows maximum. Lotus’ functions can take a variable number of arguments, but Matrix functions have a fixed number of arguments. Because of these incompatibilities a spreadsheet file converted from Lotus to Matrix may need quite a bit of  editing in order to free it from what Matrix would interpret as errors, but the amount of editing involved would depend on the contents of the file.

In a Lotus file formulas are stored in tokenised format in Reverse Polish Notation, also known as postfix notation. Matrix stores formulas as ordinary text in infix format. This means by using an ordinary text editor you can easily read the contents of a Matrix file, but not so with a Lotus file, because Lotus files need to be decompiled first. The tokens need to be reconverted into the names of the functions they represent, and the notation of formulas needs to be reconverted from postfix into its original infix format. So you see, there is quite a lot of work to be done before you can read a Lotus file with a text editor. 

LtoM.exe contains a build-in decompiler. Even if you don’t wish to convert Lotus files into Matrix format, the decompiler could come in useful because it allows you to examine Lotus files as ordinary text. But cell references that are beyond 400 rows or 26 columns are ignored and wont appear in the output file.

To use the program from Windows 95/98 drop a "wk1" file on the program's icon. To use it from DOS type in the path and name of the Lotus file to be converted. For example at the DOS prompt type:
LTOM.EXE A:\Lotus\sheet1.wk1
assuming you have a "wk1" file in Lotus directory of drive A.

The information on Lotus wk1 files came from the wksfft.zip archive file in the http://www.Simtel.Net archive library. But the information is not complete therefore not all Lotus' functions will be converted. For example @DDB and @PMTC are just a few of the functions that are ignored. But if your files mostly use just numbers and  @SUM functions then they should load in without any problems.

One of the sample files, biorhythm.wks, comes from the As-Easy-As shareware spreadsheet from the Trius company in America. The spreadsheet contains a table of trigonometric functions such as @SIN(x) and @PI(). This sample file converts easily to Matrix format except that Matrix has no graphics ability to plot the biorythm graph the columns of figures represent.

M.F.
2 Mar 2000