2090131 - Reports: v4e Files. Exporting, working with and converting .v4e files to .xls - Reporting and Analytics

This article reviews how to work with .v4e files and helps to answer the below questions:

• How do I convert a *.v4e file to *.xls?
• What does v4e stand for?

• SAP SuccessFactors HCM Core
• List, Spotlight, Spreadsheet & Classic Reports

What is a .v4e File?

• This file format, v4e, is an SuccessFactors file format. It does not stand for anything, and came into existance when the SuccessFactors engineers were looking for an altrnative to .csv (comma seperated file). They decided to use the carat symbol ^ as the delimiter to differentiate from the typical comma which can naturally occur in sentences.Therefore you can think of our .v4e files as simply a csv flat file that uses the delimiter ^ instead of , used in regular .csv files.
   
• The reason why some files are exported as .v4e and cannot be opened and viewed in Excel is because the files or reports have more than 1000 rows of data. Excel formatting is always going to have issues with very large file sizes, because the system must hold the entire results in memory to do the formatting. In the SuccessFactors system, there is a parameter named excelLimit which determines what file format the report export will use. If the result size is over this excelLimit, the file format will be v4e, otherwise it uses xls. There is a limit of 1000 records for export to Excel.
   
• To cut down on processing time and file size, SuccessFactors application saves the file or report as a .v4e file. In order to open and view .v4e files in Excel, you need to convert it to.xls. To avoid this format in your testing, try generating the report using only one location or with a smaller scope of people or goals. If you do download this format, save it to your hard drive. Then, you can open it from within Excel.
    

To convert a .v4e file to .xls:

1. Download the file to your desktop. Often the file will be within a .zip file.
2. We recommend for ease of use, that you save the .zip file to your desktop.
3. Open the .zip file
4. Inside the .zip file you will see your data file(s) (do not double click filename)
5. Highlight the file(s) and click the EXTRACT button. We recommend you extract it also to your desktop.
6. You should now have on your desktop the original .zip file, and the actual .v4e data file that you just extracted.

          TIP: At this point you could simply change the file extension from .v4e to .csv. For most users, doing this will enable you to then open your data file with excel by double clicking your renamed file.

First Time Users Need to Associate File Type with Excel

1. If you have not used .v4e files and associated this file type with excel, you will not be able to open and view your file. To enable your system to open this file:
2. Right click on the .v4e icon you saved to your desktop.
3. Select Properties
4. Click CHANGE button for "opens with"
5. From list select Microsoft excel. (If excel is not in the list, then browse to your excel executable file)
6. Click OK
7. Click Apply to exit properties.

          Now that excel is associated with .v4e files you won't have to perform this process again.

1. Open your file in Excel.
2. Highlight the entire column you would like to convert. (Usually column A)
3. Go to Menu bar > Data > Text to Columns
4. Select Delimited > then click next
5. Select/check "Other" and input ^ into the box next to Other, then select Next (Note: ^ = shift 6)
6. Select Text button and highlight the Text fields then select Finish.

HOW TO OPEN A v4e FILE IN EXCEL 2007

• With reporting there are times where you may come across a .v4e file. This is a special kind of SuccessFactors only file type that could come from any report (an export of list view, detailed document search, etc). The instructions below are tailored for a machine running Vista and Excel 2007.

1. Open a blank spreadsheet in Excel
2. Click Data
3. Select From Other Sources – From XML Data Import
4. Change the file type from XML Files (*.xml) to All Files (*.*)
5. Find the .v4e file and open it
6. In Step 1, make sure Delimited is selected
7. In Step 2, make sure Other is the only checkbox that is checked
8. Next to Other put a carat (^ = SHIFT + 6)
9. In Step 3, if you have a column with leading zeros, select each column and change those to Text
10. Click Finish
11. When it asks, Where do you want to put the data? Click OK (make sure existing worksheet is selected).

Additional Information:

• TIP: If you are NOT going to re-import your data, save your file as an .xls file so that you will not have to convert it again. If you may need to re-import the data, save it as a .csv file.

KBA , LOD-SF-ANA-VIE , List View, Spreadsheet & Classic reports , How To