Importing An Excel CSV File

[Mike Rathburn]

|-----Original Message-----
|From: filepro-list-bounces at lists.celestial.com
[mailto:filepro-list-|bounces at lists.celestial.com]On Behalf Of Art Moore
|Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 10:15 PM
|To: filePro List
|Subject: Importing An Excel CSV File
|
|I am using Windows XP Professional with filePro 5.0.5 and EXCEL 2003.
|
|I have received an EXCEL file that I need to import to a filePro file.  All
of the fields in |the filePro file have been defined as '*'.
|
|When I save the EXCEL file as a .csv file so I can import it problems
developed with what the |EXCEL file lists as phone and FAX numbers.  In the
.csv file many of what should be phone |numbers turn to exponential form.
This only happens with phone numbers that are entered as |just a string of
numbers like 1234567890.  When the entry is listed as 123-456-7890 there is
|no problem.
|
|When the entry of 1234567890 is hi-lited an exclamation mark appears and
says 'the number in |this cell is formatted as text or has an apostrophe at
the beginning'.  The entry does have |an apostrophe at the beginning.
|
|Even if I change the format to a number left justified (or text) and save
it, when I re-open |the file it is back to the exponential form.
|
|What am I doing or not doing to make these entries correct and stay that
way when saved an |opened as .csv file.  Formatting as special/phone number
does not do anything either.
|
|When I open the file (saved a .csv) it does say EXCEL recognizes the file
as a sylk file but |cannot open it that way and so will open in another
format if I want it to.  I say okay.
|
|Thanks in advance.
|Art Moore
----------------------------

Is there a problem actually importing the CSV file into filePro?  I'd
venture to say that if you tried you'll have no problems.

As you're attempting to 're-view' the CSV file in Excel, you're seeing Excel
trying to interpretate what format the column ought to be (text, general,
number, whatever).  To see what the file really looks like:

1. Open in NOTEPAD! (as Walter suggested)  [Better yet, a hex editor/viewer]
2. Don't just open the file in Excel, but rather import it into Excel.
   Open a blank workbook, go to Data -> Get External Data -> Import Text
File...
   This will take you through the MS import wizard where you can see and
control the data.

-MikeR