CSV from Filepro dropping leading zeros

[Mike Schwartz]

>When I create a csv file from filepro and open it with Excel, leading zeros
are drop.
>Is there any way to "tell" Excel not to do this?
>Are there any formatting variables that can be included into the csv file?

>Richard D. Williams
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     This is a problem with Excel, NOT with filePro.

     If you use a text editor, like NotePad in Windows, to look at the .CSV
file that filePro puts out (BEFORE you try to open it in Excel) you will see
that the leading zeros are in that file.  It is (what I consider to be) a
BUG in Excel that causes Excel to strip off the leading zeros.  

     This problem has plagued, not only filePro users, but all .CSV file
users for as long as Excel has been around.  This hits my mailing business
customers especially hard, because the leading zeros are stripped off of the
Eastern zip codes, which causes address files to "choke " the UPS software.
I have had to teach my mailing customers the following rules:

    Open .CSV files using a text editor, like Notepad, if you just want to
take a quick look at the data.  If you do need to open an incoming .CSV file
using Excel and you make changes to it, do not save it UNLESS you format the
zip code column as an Excel "Zip Code" formatted column.     

    Again, this is not a filePro problem.  It is an Excel problem.  I do
create filePro .CSV files that have leading zeros in them for many of my
other customers, especially in the insurance industry.  They transmit these
files and the people who receive them are able to read the files, leading
zeros and all, directly into many mainframe and other  applications without
losing the leading zeros.  

Mike Schwartz 
PC Support & Services 
Appleton, WI