removing blank columns from excel files

[terrya]

I want to download directly excel files from a website. For some reason, the files have blank columns between the variable columns (I assume that the authors believe that this makes it easier to read them). There's no problem with saving the files to disc, deleting the blank columns and reading the resulting file into Eviews. I just want sidestep this if I can.

Both wfopen and import pick out the first variable but none of the others. Is it possible to delete the blank columns?

Also: Can Eviews unzip a file? I haven't been able to identify a command to do this if, in fact, it can.

[EViews Gareth]

Use the range statement to explicitly say which block of data you want from the Excel file.

No, there is no unzip

[terrya]

Thanks. Are there any thoughts about unzip for EViews?