Trying to work with CVS files in Excel

Hairog · Post by **Hairog** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 5:57 pm

I'm having trouble with working with the data files. They come in all jumbled and smashed in the same columns with the labels for the columns meaning nothing. It's as if every column was merged into just column A but it's not.

As I recall this is a problem with Excel and the US and European way of working with comma and semi colon deliminated flies.

Also when I do figure out which figure goes with which column and change it I am asked to save it twice and it sometimes messes up the whole spread sheet. Again it has something to do with the US and European way of handling commas and semi colons but I can remember what it is.

doomtrader · Post by **doomtrader** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 9:52 pm

We are using semi-colons.
I think this can be set in preferences.

You might also try to use notepad++

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 10:25 pm

I use the freeware Open Office to edit those files, when I want it in spreadsheet format. Using semi-colons.

If I just want to make a simple edit, and I don't need the spreadsheet format, I use the free 'context' editor.

Hairog · Post by **Hairog** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 6:07 pm

Downloaded Notepad++ and I'm still getting columns that are not lined up with the labels. It looks just like the Excel files. Somehow I have to convert all the ; to tabs or something. Will that work? If it does what does that do when I try and save it?

Tried to do a find and replace and there is no TAB.

doomtrader · Post by **doomtrader** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 6:56 pm

Notpad++ allows you to view the file in similar way to normal notepad.
So using this software you are not going to get columns.

If you are using MS Excel, this link might be helpful:
http://www.paessler.com/knowledgebase/e ... o-fix-this

It's pretty well describing how to set things up.

Hairog · Post by **Hairog** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 11:41 pm

Thanks Doom. If I make it a txt file will that not mess up the file for the game? If I changed the ; to , will not that mess up the file for the game? Will I have to put the , back to ; ?

Hairog · Post by **Hairog** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 11:42 pm

Thanks Doom. If I make it a txt file will that not mess up the file for the game? If I changed the ; to , will not that mess up the file for the game? Will I have to put the , back to ; ?

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 12:35 am

It definitely has to stay as semi-colon. No commas.

Excell or Open Office will handle the semi-colons just fine. It will ask at file open, which you want.

Hairog · Post by **Hairog** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 1:54 am

Not mine. It just opens it with no columns and semi colons. It never asks anything. Is there somewhere that I can alter this after opening the file?

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 2:44 am

Well, I mispoke them. I would look in Excell instead of a 'file open' perhaps a 'file import' or something.

Did you go to the link that Doomtrader gave you, for opening .csv files with Excell?

Razz1 · Post by **Razz1** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 3:48 am

Right click on the file and open as Note Pad. Works for me all the time

If you accidentally saved the file in excel you have a problem.

Hairog · Post by **Hairog** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 11:31 am

Download Open Office and this seems to work. The only problem might be how you save it. I will do some experiments.