# Exporting to Excel **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions\ **Tags:** filemaker, excel-export\ **Created:** [January 5, 2022, 7:15pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/exporting-to-excel/2674 "2022-01-05T19:15:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrewFM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@DrewFM](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/DrewFM)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 7:15pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/exporting-to-excel/2674/1 "2022-01-05T19:15:51Z")
Second post here ! Lost my info to the old account... I am new to Filemaker, and have a question regarding exporting. I have a database centered around books. Title, Authors, Descriptions etc... I have a layout named Title Detail, with a Title Table. I have another Layout/Table labeled Virtual List.... I want to add the contents of Title to Title List. Then with a button I want to export to excel and fill Virtual List with my Title contents. I uploaded photos so you can see what I am working with... any help is greatly appreciated... Thanks ! ![Screen Shot 2022-01-05 at 1.18.05 PM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/0/0130636c6d04b918980641a56650bf53e005220a.png) ![Screen Shot 2022-01-05 at 1.17.54 PM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/1/11968ce64afb741cc123f44ddfa8bc33e243827c.png) ![Screen Shot 2022-01-05 at 1.17.45 PM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/1/1677e62376be9f65dc07b694c65628000987ec48.png) ![Screen Shot 2022-01-05 at 1.17.30 PM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/d/d59dc71d58b41e068eb4504aeabb5e1b6faea862.png) ![Screen Shot 2022-01-05 at 3.33.00 PM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/a/a2e2d118f7e658e278c616b8e81520fd554a14c7.png) ---
**Author:** ![jwilling](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/jwilling/32/256_2.png) [@jwilling](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/jwilling)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 8:22pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/exporting-to-excel/2674/2 "2022-01-05T20:22:39Z")
Hi, I'm sure you'll get some good help here. Can we take a step back and can you describe, in the most non-programmy/tabley/fieldy terms what you're trying to accomplish. For example, one end goal might be something like "I'd like to create a PDF that lists all the books that came out in the year x" > Then with a button I want to export to excel and fill Virtual List with my Title contents. The reason I ask is because it's not clear (to me at least) what the end result should be. Also, Virtual List has strong idiomatic meaning in the FileMaker world and it's not 100% clear here whether it's being used "non-traditionally" in your system. I apologize if you felt you were being very clear and I'm just not understanding. ---
**Author:** ![DrewFM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@DrewFM](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/DrewFM)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 9:25pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/exporting-to-excel/2674/3 "2022-01-05T21:25:41Z")
I understand, I am still learning, so I figured that would happen. What I want to do is create records for books. I want to have the author, description of the book, Title of the book, etc I want to take those and export them into an Excel sheet. ---
**Author:** ![DrewFM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@DrewFM](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/DrewFM)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 9:35pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/exporting-to-excel/2674/4 "2022-01-05T21:35:14Z")
I want to export the data from filemaker to excel in a script with a button. I posted my updated script. The last photo. ---
**Author:** ![jwilling](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/jwilling/32/256_2.png) [@jwilling](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/jwilling)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 9:46pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/exporting-to-excel/2674/5 "2022-01-05T21:46:03Z")
Thanks @DrewFM for the clarification. You can likely accomplish this without VirtualList. Try: 1. Export Records script step. 2. Select the fields you want to export selected in the "Specify Export Order" dialog, and drag them into the order you want. This can also include fields from related tables. ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/0/083f68f7e9c932df4ac2101eb80c80c47648ede7.jpeg) 3. Optionally define the export path and the worksheet name ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/5/5a06e4ffb42e234f437bd6e7cce817ca0ef75ad6.jpeg) ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/8/86c5fc4133bef727ef7deb5f38a42c94cade692a.jpeg) Did you already try something like that and encounter some kind of roadblock? ---
**Author:** ![DrewFM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@DrewFM](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/DrewFM)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 9:49pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/exporting-to-excel/2674/6 "2022-01-05T21:49:43Z")
I don't think this solution would work for my case. I have tried what you mentioned, and it doesn't accomplish what I am trying to do. ---
**Author:** ![jwilling](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/jwilling/32/256_2.png) [@jwilling](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/jwilling)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 1:15am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/exporting-to-excel/2674/7 "2022-01-06T01:15:18Z")
I think we'll need more information about why that doesn't work since that's the standard way of doing it. Is it because each title can have multiple contributors? If so can you make an example of your desired excel output? (make it in excel) ---
**Author:** ![steverichter](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/steverichter/32/1022_2.png) [@steverichter](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/steverichter)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 1:49am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/exporting-to-excel/2674/8 "2022-01-06T01:49:40Z")
@DrewFM From what you describe, a single table and layout will be sufficient. Can you elaborate on why a second table and layout is required? ---
**Author:** ![DrewFM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@DrewFM](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/DrewFM)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 8:06am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/exporting-to-excel/2674/9 "2022-01-07T08:06:31Z")
Exactly, a title can have multiple contributors, along with descriptions, & other things. I’m trying to make the export dynamic, so if I have more contributors the export will handle that.. Hope that makes sense ---
**Author:** ![DrewFM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@DrewFM](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/DrewFM)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 8:06am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/exporting-to-excel/2674/10 "2022-01-07T08:06:54Z")
I will do this later today, thank you guys for your time ---
**Author:** ![DrewFM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@DrewFM](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/DrewFM)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 4:49pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/exporting-to-excel/2674/11 "2022-01-07T16:49:25Z")
![Screen Shot 2022-01-07 at 10.48.37 AM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/7/7863f20238d9d7b477bb03d9beeb6756d71c75fe.jpeg) Here is an example of the Excel sheet. ---
**Author:** ![DrewFM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@DrewFM](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/DrewFM)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 4:54pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/exporting-to-excel/2674/12 "2022-01-07T16:54:49Z")
![Screen Shot 2022-01-07 at 10.54.27 AM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/2/2c102a97acb809b032b0fbf0bc7b0ccf0a49a344.png) ---
**Author:** ![DrewFM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@DrewFM](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/DrewFM)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 8:20pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/exporting-to-excel/2674/13 "2022-01-07T20:20:23Z")
Solved with a coworker today ! ---
**Author:** ![DrewFM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@DrewFM](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/DrewFM)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 10:06pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/exporting-to-excel/2674/14 "2022-01-07T22:06:19Z")
Thank you everybody !