{
  "category": "External data functions",
  "display_name": "IMPORTTEXT",
  "entry_kind": "built_in_function",
  "eval_api": {
    "method": "POST",
    "url": "https://handbook.dnacalc.com/api/eval"
  },
  "function_id": "FUNC.IMPORTTEXT",
  "implementation_state": {
    "answer_bank": null,
    "detail": "The answer is a file the host reads. Microsoft's page lists it for Insiders on Windows; DNA Calc does not know the name yet.",
    "dnacalc_commit": "9e1884369a678158dd82d3d74188daf986995e87",
    "in_catalogue": false,
    "state": "host",
    "state_label": "Needs a host",
    "summary": "Needs a host that can read files",
    "workbook_corpus": null
  },
  "implementations": [],
  "json_url": "https://handbook.dnacalc.com/api/functions/FUNC.IMPORTTEXT.json",
  "name": "IMPORTTEXT",
  "notes": [],
  "schema": "efh.function-reference/v1",
  "section_order": [
    "what-it-does",
    "try-it",
    "quirks",
    "how-to-implement",
    "version-differences",
    "alternatives"
  ],
  "sections": {
    "alternatives": "\n- `IMPORTCSV`, its shorter form for CSV files.\n- Power Query, for transformations and repeatable loads.\n\n\n",
    "how-to-implement": "\nDNA Calc does not know this name yet. An implementation needs file and URL access from the host, a parser with the\npage's delimiter, encoding and locale rules, an array result, and a refresh step separate from recalculation. Web sources\nalso need the host's sign-in handling.\n\n\n",
    "quirks": "\n- **It does not update by itself.** Use Refresh All on the Data tab; a change to the file does not recalculate the cell.\n- **A URL may ask for sign-in.** Excel shows an authentication dialog, and saved permissions are managed under Data\n  Source Settings.\n- **The default locale belongs to the machine**, so one file can parse differently on two systems unless `locale` is given.\n\nMicrosoft's page does not list errors, and none are recorded here.\n\n\n",
    "sources": "\n- [IMPORTTEXT function](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/functions/importtext-function)\n- [IMPORTCSV function](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/functions/importcsv-function)\n\n",
    "version-differences": "\nMicrosoft's page lists it for Microsoft 365 Insiders in the Beta channel on Windows, version 2502 (build 18604.20002) or\nlater. No Excel answers for this function are recorded here, so no comparison between Excel builds exists.\n\n\n",
    "what-it-does": "\n`IMPORTTEXT` loads a text file into a dynamic array with one formula.\n\n`IMPORTTEXT(path, [delimiter], [skip_rows], [take_rows], [encoding], [locale])`\n\n- **`path`** is a local file path or a URL.\n- **`delimiter`** separates columns, with tab as the default. Ascending integers such as `{1,3}` split fixed-width columns.\n- **`skip_rows`** and **`take_rows`** count rows. A negative number counts from the end.\n- **`encoding`** defaults to UTF-8.\n- **`locale`** sets regional formats and defaults to the operating system's.\n\n\n"
  },
  "signature": {
    "display": "IMPORTTEXT(path, [delimiter], [skip_rows], [take_rows], [encoding], [locale])",
    "parameters": [
      {
        "description": null,
        "name": "path",
        "optional": false,
        "repeats": false
      },
      {
        "description": null,
        "name": "delimiter",
        "optional": true,
        "repeats": false
      },
      {
        "description": null,
        "name": "skip_rows",
        "optional": true,
        "repeats": false
      },
      {
        "description": null,
        "name": "take_rows",
        "optional": true,
        "repeats": false
      },
      {
        "description": null,
        "name": "encoding",
        "optional": true,
        "repeats": false
      },
      {
        "description": null,
        "name": "locale",
        "optional": true,
        "repeats": false
      }
    ],
    "trailing_repeats": false
  },
  "sources": {
    "metadata": {
      "admission": {
        "label": "host",
        "reason": "The answer is a file the host reads. Microsoft's page lists it for Insiders on Windows; DNA Calc does not know the name yet."
      },
      "arity": {
        "max": 6,
        "min": 1
      },
      "category": "External data functions",
      "classification": {},
      "descriptions": {
        "long": null,
        "short": "Loads a delimited or fixed-width text file into a refreshable array",
        "short_source": "dna-calc-own"
      },
      "docs": {
        "english_description": null,
        "microsoft_url": "https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/functions/importtext-function"
      },
      "entry_kind": "built_in_function",
      "localized_family_names": null,
      "localized_names": [],
      "signature": {
        "display": "IMPORTTEXT(path, [delimiter], [skip_rows], [take_rows], [encoding], [locale])",
        "parameters": [
          {
            "description": null,
            "name": "path",
            "optional": false,
            "repeats": false
          },
          {
            "description": null,
            "name": "delimiter",
            "optional": true,
            "repeats": false
          },
          {
            "description": null,
            "name": "skip_rows",
            "optional": true,
            "repeats": false
          },
          {
            "description": null,
            "name": "take_rows",
            "optional": true,
            "repeats": false
          },
          {
            "description": null,
            "name": "encoding",
            "optional": true,
            "repeats": false
          },
          {
            "description": null,
            "name": "locale",
            "optional": true,
            "repeats": false
          }
        ],
        "trailing_repeats": false
      },
      "surface_name": "IMPORTTEXT",
      "version_marker": null,
      "xlcall": null
    },
    "microsoft": "https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/functions/importtext-function"
  },
  "try_it": {
    "formula": "=IMPORTTEXT(\"data.txt\")",
    "note": "The OneCalc preview has no answer for this function: see the state above.",
    "preview_status": "worksheet-error"
  },
  "url": "https://handbook.dnacalc.com/functions/IMPORTTEXT.html",
  "variants": [],
  "versions": []
}