/*

     * this function will read from excel

     * and will return the items of excel

     */

    public static String[][] readExcel(String config) throws IOException

    {

        File f=new File(config);

        if(!f.exists())

        {

            return null;

        }

        FileInputStream fs = new FileInputStream(f);

        //create a workbook

        Workbook wb =  new HSSFWorkbook(fs);

        Sheet sheet = wb.getSheetAt(0);

        int rows=sheet.getLastRowNum();

        Row firstRow=sheet.getRow(0);

        int columns=firstRow.getLastCellNum();

        String[][] data=new  String[rows+1][columns];

          for(int rownum=0;rownum<=sheet.getLastRowNum();rownum++)    {

                //for (Cell cell : row)

                 Row row = sheet.getRow(rownum);

                 if (row == null) {

                     continue;

                 }

                String value;

                for(int cellnum=0;cellnum<=row.getLastCellNum();cellnum++){

                    Cell cell=row.getCell(cellnum);

                    // filter the null cells

                    if(cell==null)

                    {

                        continue;

                    }

                    else {

                        value="";

                    }

                    switch (cell.getCellType()) {

                        case Cell.CELL_TYPE_STRING:

                           // System.out.println(cell.getRichStringCellValue().getString());

                            value=cell.getRichStringCellValue().getString();

                            break;

                        case Cell.CELL_TYPE_NUMERIC:

                            if (DateUtil.isCellDateFormatted(cell)) {

                                //System.out.println(cell.getDateCellValue());

                                value=cell.getDateCellValue().toString();

                            } else {

                               // System.out.println(cell.getNumericCellValue());

                                value=Double.toString((int)cell.getNumericCellValue());

                            }

                            break;

                        case Cell.CELL_TYPE_BOOLEAN:

                            //System.out.println(cell.getBooleanCellValue());

                            value=Boolean.toString(cell.getBooleanCellValue());

                            break;

                        case Cell.CELL_TYPE_FORMULA:

                            //System.out.println(cell.getCellFormula());

                            value=cell.getCellFormula().toLowerCase();

                            break;

                        default:

                            value=" ";

                            System.out.println();

                    }

                    System.out.println(value);

                    data[rownum][cellnum]=value;

                }

          }

        return data;

    }