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4 Data file preparation 44Fixed format data filesThe format must be supplied with the !FORMAT qualifier which is described in(Table 5.5). However, if all fields are present and are separated, the file can beread free format.Preparing data files in ExcelMany users find it convenient to prepare their data in Excel or Access. However,the data must be exported from these programs into either .csv (Commaseparated values) or .txt (TAB separated values) form for ASReml to read it.ASReml can convert an .xls file to a .csv file. When ASReml is invoked with an.xls file as the filename argument and there is no .csv file or .as with the samebasename, it exports the first sheet as a .csv file and then generates a template.as command file from any column headings it finds (see page 178). It will alsoconvert a Genstat .gsh spreadsheet file to .csv format. The data extracted fromthe .xls file are labels, numerical values and the results from formulae. Emptyrows at the start and end of a block are trimmed, but empty rows in the middleof a block are kept. Empty columns are ignored. A single row of labels as the firstnon-empty row in the block will be taken as column names. Empty cells in thisrow will have default names C1, C2 etc. assigned. Missing values are commonlyrepresented in ASReml data files by NA, * or .. ASReml will also recognise emptyfields as missing values in .csv (.xls) files.Binary format data filesConventions for binary files are as follows:• binary files are read as unformatted Fortran binary in single precision if thefilename has a .bin or .BIN extension,• Fortran binary data files are read in double precision if the filename has a .dblor .DBL extension,• ASReml recognises the value -1e37 as a missing value in binary files,• Fortran binary in the above means all real (.bin) or all double precision (.dbl)variables; mixed types, that is, integer and alphabetic binary representation ofvariables is not allowed in binary files,• binary files can only be used in conjunction with a pedigree file if the pedigreefields are coded in the binary file so that they correspond with the pedigree file(this can be done using the !SAVE option in ASReml to form the binary file,see Table 5.5), or the identifiers are whole numbers less than 9,999,999 and the!RECODE qualifier is specified (see Table 5.5).