Opening CSV file in column A?
 

I have a .csv file where a few records are 'split' across multiple columns, I
presume because they have a comma (or similar) in them. All other records
remain in the A column.

That is annoying because Isubsequently need to manipulate all records in the
same way (using 'Text to Columns'and other manipulations). It is thus
essential that *all* records *stay* in the A column, i.e. that no 'Text to
column' type functionality engages immediately upon opening the csv file.

Is there a way to ensure this does not happen, i.e. that all records stay in
column A?

Thanks

Opening CSV file in column A?
 

Rename the file from .csv to .txt.
Open it from within Excel as a delimited file, but unselect comma or any
other potential delimiter.
--
David Biddulph

"Henrik" wrote in message
...
I have a .csv file where a few records are 'split' across multiple columns,
I
presume because they have a comma (or similar) in them. All other records
remain in the A column.

That is annoying because Isubsequently need to manipulate all records in
the
same way (using 'Text to Columns'and other manipulations). It is thus
essential that *all* records *stay* in the A column, i.e. that no 'Text to
column' type functionality engages immediately upon opening the csv file.

Is there a way to ensure this does not happen, i.e. that all records stay
in
column A?

Thanks

Opening CSV file in column A?
 

Thanks, David, that works. It is of course a bit of a workaround -- is there
really no way to do this straight from a .txt file?

"David Biddulph" wrote:

Rename the file from .csv to .txt.
Open it from within Excel as a delimited file, but unselect comma or any
other potential delimiter.
--
David Biddulph

"Henrik" wrote in message
...
I have a .csv file where a few records are 'split' across multiple columns,
I
presume because they have a comma (or similar) in them. All other records
remain in the A column.

That is annoying because Isubsequently need to manipulate all records in
the
same way (using 'Text to Columns'and other manipulations). It is thus
essential that *all* records *stay* in the A column, i.e. that no 'Text to
column' type functionality engages immediately upon opening the csv file.

Is there a way to ensure this does not happen, i.e. that all records stay
in
column A?

Thanks

Opening CSV file in column A?
 

Henrik

Change the extension from .csv to .txt

Open that and the Text to Columns Wizard opens.

Choose to keep all data in column A.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

On Thu, 15 Mar 2007 13:33:20 -0700, Henrik
wrote:

I have a .csv file where a few records are 'split' across multiple columns, I
presume because they have a comma (or similar) in them. All other records
remain in the A column.

That is annoying because Isubsequently need to manipulate all records in the
same way (using 'Text to Columns'and other manipulations). It is thus
essential that *all* records *stay* in the A column, i.e. that no 'Text to
column' type functionality engages immediately upon opening the csv file.

Is there a way to ensure this does not happen, i.e. that all records stay in
column A?

Thanks

Opening CSV file in column A?
 

The whole point of .csv files is so that text files can be easily imported into
excel in different columns.

If you really, really want to break this behavior, you could try this:

Look at the .csv file in notepad. Make a note of the field separator character.

Then make sure that windows regional settings doesn't use that character as the
list separator.

windows start button|settings|control panel|regional and language options
On the Regional Options tab
click the Customize button
On the numbers tab, check the list separator box.

But this sounds like a pretty strange requirement to me. In fact, I wouldn't
want you to mess with that setting on my pc.

It would screw up lots of things--including the way I enter a formula:

=if(a1=1,2,3)
would have to use that list separator that you chose.





Henrik wrote:

I have a .csv file where a few records are 'split' across multiple columns, I
presume because they have a comma (or similar) in them. All other records
remain in the A column.

That is annoying because Isubsequently need to manipulate all records in the
same way (using 'Text to Columns'and other manipulations). It is thus
essential that *all* records *stay* in the A column, i.e. that no 'Text to
column' type functionality engages immediately upon opening the csv file.

Is there a way to ensure this does not happen, i.e. that all records stay in
column A?

Thanks

--

Dave Peterson

Opening CSV file in column A?
 

If you do File|Open and select the .txt file (you wrote .txt in your response),
you can shift-click on the Open button and excel will put it all in column A.

Henrik wrote:

Thanks, David, that works. It is of course a bit of a workaround -- is there
really no way to do this straight from a .txt file?

"David Biddulph" wrote:

Rename the file from .csv to .txt.
Open it from within Excel as a delimited file, but unselect comma or any
other potential delimiter.
--
David Biddulph

"Henrik" wrote in message
...
I have a .csv file where a few records are 'split' across multiple columns,
I
presume because they have a comma (or similar) in them. All other records
remain in the A column.

That is annoying because Isubsequently need to manipulate all records in
the
same way (using 'Text to Columns'and other manipulations). It is thus
essential that *all* records *stay* in the A column, i.e. that no 'Text to
column' type functionality engages immediately upon opening the csv file.

Is there a way to ensure this does not happen, i.e. that all records stay
in
column A?

Thanks




--

Dave Peterson