Hpefully some one will have and answer for this.
Excel may add quotation marks automatically upon exporting to a txt file
format.

Has this been addressed in Excel 2007.

Thanks
Steve

Can you explain your problem with this a little more? Or tell us what you
expect to happen and what actually happens?

I haven't investigated the output of .txt type data from Excel, but it is
typical in CSV type files to have quotation marks added to text that contains
the separator character so that the import side of things can tell that a
given separator character is either truly a separator character or is just
another character within a text string.

"Steven" wrote:

Hpefully some one will have and answer for this.
Excel may add quotation marks automatically upon exporting to a txt file
format.

Has this been addressed in Excel 2007.

Thanks
Steve

I have the | "pipe" delimiter set in my pc's global options.
I work up some database info in excel .xls and when one group of products is
done I copy and paste the info into a .txt file.

Keep in mind this happens when ever I use a quote character in any cell.
But in this case I needed to add the alt="" to the below string but after I
save this txt file and open it up in notepad I find quote marks where they
should not be. ie.

"<IMG SRC=%%URLofImages%%/lights_of_america/2413c_thumb.jpg BORDER=0
alt="""""

All I want is what I typed not the extra quote marks.

Steve

"JLatham" wrote:

Can you explain your problem with this a little more? Or tell us what you
expect to happen and what actually happens?

I haven't investigated the output of .txt type data from Excel, but it is
typical in CSV type files to have quotation marks added to text that contains
the separator character so that the import side of things can tell that a
given separator character is either truly a separator character or is just
another character within a text string.

"Steven" wrote:

Hpefully some one will have and answer for this.
Excel may add quotation marks automatically upon exporting to a txt file
format.

Has this been addressed in Excel 2007.

Thanks
Steve

Steven,
Let me play around with this for a bit. I see what you're talking about:
Alt="" being turned into Alt="""". That's something I'd expect to see in a
..CSV type file where the double-quote character is used as the text delimiter
and also happens to appear within a string that contains them.

One more question: in your first post you said you were exporting the data
to a file from Excel, in this last one you mention copy and paste. Which
method are you using?

"Steven" wrote:

I have the | "pipe" delimiter set in my pc's global options.
I work up some database info in excel .xls and when one group of products is
done I copy and paste the info into a .txt file.

Keep in mind this happens when ever I use a quote character in any cell.
But in this case I needed to add the alt="" to the below string but after I
save this txt file and open it up in notepad I find quote marks where they
should not be. ie.

"<IMG SRC=%%URLofImages%%/lights_of_america/2413c_thumb.jpg BORDER=0
alt="""""

All I want is what I typed not the extra quote marks.

Steve

"JLatham" wrote:

Can you explain your problem with this a little more? Or tell us what you
expect to happen and what actually happens?

I haven't investigated the output of .txt type data from Excel, but it is
typical in CSV type files to have quotation marks added to text that contains
the separator character so that the import side of things can tell that a
given separator character is either truly a separator character or is just
another character within a text string.

"Steven" wrote:

Hpefully some one will have and answer for this.
Excel may add quotation marks automatically upon exporting to a txt file
format.

Has this been addressed in Excel 2007.

Thanks
Steve

It's copy and paste from xls to a txt file. It's not just the alt= it's also
the " at the beginning and end of the image url too.

Thnaks Steve

"JLatham" wrote:

Steven,
Let me play around with this for a bit. I see what you're talking about:
Alt="" being turned into Alt="""". That's something I'd expect to see in a
.CSV type file where the double-quote character is used as the text delimiter
and also happens to appear within a string that contains them.

One more question: in your first post you said you were exporting the data
to a file from Excel, in this last one you mention copy and paste. Which
method are you using?

"Steven" wrote:

I have the | "pipe" delimiter set in my pc's global options.
I work up some database info in excel .xls and when one group of products is
done I copy and paste the info into a .txt file.

Keep in mind this happens when ever I use a quote character in any cell.
But in this case I needed to add the alt="" to the below string but after I
save this txt file and open it up in notepad I find quote marks where they
should not be. ie.

"<IMG SRC=%%URLofImages%%/lights_of_america/2413c_thumb.jpg BORDER=0
alt="""""

All I want is what I typed not the extra quote marks.

Steve

"JLatham" wrote:

Can you explain your problem with this a little more? Or tell us what you
expect to happen and what actually happens?

I haven't investigated the output of .txt type data from Excel, but it is
typical in CSV type files to have quotation marks added to text that contains
the separator character so that the import side of things can tell that a
given separator character is either truly a separator character or is just
another character within a text string.

"Steven" wrote:

Hpefully some one will have and answer for this.
Excel may add quotation marks automatically upon exporting to a txt file
format.

Has this been addressed in Excel 2007.

Thanks
Steve

Thanks for that - and for the info about the " at beginning and end of
phrase. I meant to ask about those but didn't. Be back shortly <g.

"Steven" wrote:

It's copy and paste from xls to a txt file. It's not just the alt= it's also
the " at the beginning and end of the image url too.

Thnaks Steve

"JLatham" wrote:

Steven,
Let me play around with this for a bit. I see what you're talking about:
Alt="" being turned into Alt="""". That's something I'd expect to see in a
.CSV type file where the double-quote character is used as the text delimiter
and also happens to appear within a string that contains them.

One more question: in your first post you said you were exporting the data
to a file from Excel, in this last one you mention copy and paste. Which
method are you using?

"Steven" wrote:

I have the | "pipe" delimiter set in my pc's global options.
I work up some database info in excel .xls and when one group of products is
done I copy and paste the info into a .txt file.

Keep in mind this happens when ever I use a quote character in any cell.
But in this case I needed to add the alt="" to the below string but after I
save this txt file and open it up in notepad I find quote marks where they
should not be. ie.

"<IMG SRC=%%URLofImages%%/lights_of_america/2413c_thumb.jpg BORDER=0
alt="""""

All I want is what I typed not the extra quote marks.

Steve

"JLatham" wrote:

Can you explain your problem with this a little more? Or tell us what you
expect to happen and what actually happens?

I haven't investigated the output of .txt type data from Excel, but it is
typical in CSV type files to have quotation marks added to text that contains
the separator character so that the import side of things can tell that a
given separator character is either truly a separator character or is just
another character within a text string.

"Steven" wrote:

Hpefully some one will have and answer for this.
Excel may add quotation marks automatically upon exporting to a txt file
format.

Has this been addressed in Excel 2007.

Thanks
Steve

Steven,
I've tried this in both Excel 2007 and Excel 2003 (both systems with Windows
XP Pro as the operating system).

I cannot duplicate your problem with either version of Excel if I simply
select the cell(s) and do an [Ctrl]+[C] to copy it to the clipboard and then
use [Ctrl]+[V] to paste it into Notepad to be saved as a text file.

But I can duplicate it in both versions if I use File | Save As and then
choose the .txt file option in the Save As Type list.

So I guess the answer to your original, basic question is that the behavior
has not changed from 2003 to 2007.


"Steven" wrote:

It's copy and paste from xls to a txt file. It's not just the alt= it's also
the " at the beginning and end of the image url too.

Thnaks Steve

"JLatham" wrote:

Steven,
Let me play around with this for a bit. I see what you're talking about:
Alt="" being turned into Alt="""". That's something I'd expect to see in a
.CSV type file where the double-quote character is used as the text delimiter
and also happens to appear within a string that contains them.

One more question: in your first post you said you were exporting the data
to a file from Excel, in this last one you mention copy and paste. Which
method are you using?

"Steven" wrote:

I have the | "pipe" delimiter set in my pc's global options.
I work up some database info in excel .xls and when one group of products is
done I copy and paste the info into a .txt file.

Keep in mind this happens when ever I use a quote character in any cell.
But in this case I needed to add the alt="" to the below string but after I
save this txt file and open it up in notepad I find quote marks where they
should not be. ie.

"<IMG SRC=%%URLofImages%%/lights_of_america/2413c_thumb.jpg BORDER=0
alt="""""

All I want is what I typed not the extra quote marks.

Steve

"JLatham" wrote:

Can you explain your problem with this a little more? Or tell us what you
expect to happen and what actually happens?

I haven't investigated the output of .txt type data from Excel, but it is
typical in CSV type files to have quotation marks added to text that contains
the separator character so that the import side of things can tell that a
given separator character is either truly a separator character or is just
another character within a text string.

"Steven" wrote:

Hpefully some one will have and answer for this.
Excel may add quotation marks automatically upon exporting to a txt file
format.

Has this been addressed in Excel 2007.

Thanks
Steve

It sounds like I misunderstood you, when I said copy and paste I was talking
about copying from a .xls file and pasting into a new work book and saving
that as a .txt file. I don't paste into a new work book file everytime. I
will open the exsiting .txt file in excel and paste into that from the .xls

If Excel 2007 does not address this is there some was to tell Excel 2003 not
to quote text fields.

Steve

"JLatham" wrote:

Steven,
I've tried this in both Excel 2007 and Excel 2003 (both systems with Windows
XP Pro as the operating system).

I cannot duplicate your problem with either version of Excel if I simply
select the cell(s) and do an [Ctrl]+[C] to copy it to the clipboard and then
use [Ctrl]+[V] to paste it into Notepad to be saved as a text file.

But I can duplicate it in both versions if I use File | Save As and then
choose the .txt file option in the Save As Type list.

So I guess the answer to your original, basic question is that the behavior
has not changed from 2003 to 2007.


"Steven" wrote:

It's copy and paste from xls to a txt file. It's not just the alt= it's also
the " at the beginning and end of the image url too.

Thnaks Steve

"JLatham" wrote:

Steven,
Let me play around with this for a bit. I see what you're talking about:
Alt="" being turned into Alt="""". That's something I'd expect to see in a
.CSV type file where the double-quote character is used as the text delimiter
and also happens to appear within a string that contains them.

One more question: in your first post you said you were exporting the data
to a file from Excel, in this last one you mention copy and paste. Which
method are you using?

"Steven" wrote:

I have the | "pipe" delimiter set in my pc's global options.
I work up some database info in excel .xls and when one group of products is
done I copy and paste the info into a .txt file.

Keep in mind this happens when ever I use a quote character in any cell.
But in this case I needed to add the alt="" to the below string but after I
save this txt file and open it up in notepad I find quote marks where they
should not be. ie.

"<IMG SRC=%%URLofImages%%/lights_of_america/2413c_thumb.jpg BORDER=0
alt="""""

All I want is what I typed not the extra quote marks.

Steve

"JLatham" wrote:

Can you explain your problem with this a little more? Or tell us what you
expect to happen and what actually happens?

I haven't investigated the output of .txt type data from Excel, but it is
typical in CSV type files to have quotation marks added to text that contains
the separator character so that the import side of things can tell that a
given separator character is either truly a separator character or is just
another character within a text string.

"Steven" wrote:

Hpefully some one will have and answer for this.
Excel may add quotation marks automatically upon exporting to a txt file
format.

Has this been addressed in Excel 2007.

Thanks
Steve

I don't know of any setting to override that. But here's a two-part option
for you.

Part one is the code below. You can put it in a workbook for use at any
time. Open a new workbook, press [Alt]+[F11] to open the VB Editor and
choose Insert | Module from its menu. Copy and paste the code below into it
and save the workbook with an easy to remember name.

Then anytime you have a .xls file open and want to transfer information from
it to a .txt file, open the workbook with the macro in it along with the
workbook with the data to be written to a .txt file, then select the text to
be exported as one large block of cells and use Tools | Macro | Macros to
choose this code to run. It will create a text file from the data in the
selected cells without adding any extra double quote marks or anything. It
will use the | pipe character as the field separator. It will save the file
in the same folder with the .xls file with the data in it using the name you
provide during the process.

Second part of the solution: You can open the .txt file using Notepad or
Wordpad. Or you can use Data Import and choose the .txt type file to be
opened and in the options for the text import wizard, in the first screen
choose [Delimited] for the type, on the second screen clear all of the
Delimiters options, then check "Other" and type the | character into the
entry box to the right of the word Other: and finally, set the Text qualifier
to {none}. That'll import the data back into Excel correctly.

Here's the code:

Sub WriteTextFileFromSelectedCells()
Dim rowCount As Long
Dim colCount As Long
Dim rPointer As Long
Dim cPointer As Long
Dim txtFileName As String
Dim fileNum As Integer
Dim rawRecord As String
Const fSeparator = "|" ' field separator

If Selection.Areas.Count 1 Then
MsgBox "Cannot process multiple areas. " & _
"Selection must be one single block of cells.", vbOKOnly, _
"Multiple Areas Selected"
Exit Sub
End If
txtFileName = InputBox$("Enter name for the text file.", _
"Filename", "")
txtFileName = Trim(txtFileName)
If txtFileName = "" Then
Exit Sub
End If
If UCase(Right(txtFileName, 4)) < ".TXT" Then
txtFileName = txtFileName & ".txt"
End If
txtFileName = Left(ActiveWorkbook.FullName, _
InStrRev(ActiveWorkbook.FullName, "\")) & txtFileName
fileNum = FreeFile()
Open txtFileName For Output As #fileNum
rowCount = Selection.Rows.Count
colCount = Selection.Columns.Count
For rPointer = 1 To rowCount
rawRecord = "" ' reset from previous row
For cPointer = 1 To colCount
rawRecord = rawRecord & Selection.Cells(rPointer, _
cPointer).Value & fSeparator
Next
'remove the extra | from the string
rawRecord = Left(rawRecord, Len(rawRecord) - 1)
Print #fileNum, rawRecord
Next
Close #fileNum
MsgBox "File: " & vbCrLf & txtFileName & vbCrLf & _
"has been saved."
End Sub



"Steven" wrote:

It sounds like I misunderstood you, when I said copy and paste I was talking
about copying from a .xls file and pasting into a new work book and saving
that as a .txt file. I don't paste into a new work book file everytime. I
will open the exsiting .txt file in excel and paste into that from the .xls

If Excel 2007 does not address this is there some was to tell Excel 2003 not
to quote text fields.

Steve

"JLatham" wrote:

Steven,
I've tried this in both Excel 2007 and Excel 2003 (both systems with Windows
XP Pro as the operating system).

I cannot duplicate your problem with either version of Excel if I simply
select the cell(s) and do an [Ctrl]+[C] to copy it to the clipboard and then
use [Ctrl]+[V] to paste it into Notepad to be saved as a text file.

But I can duplicate it in both versions if I use File | Save As and then
choose the .txt file option in the Save As Type list.

So I guess the answer to your original, basic question is that the behavior
has not changed from 2003 to 2007.


"Steven" wrote:

It's copy and paste from xls to a txt file. It's not just the alt= it's also
the " at the beginning and end of the image url too.

Thnaks Steve

"JLatham" wrote:

Steven,
Let me play around with this for a bit. I see what you're talking about:
Alt="" being turned into Alt="""". That's something I'd expect to see in a
.CSV type file where the double-quote character is used as the text delimiter
and also happens to appear within a string that contains them.

One more question: in your first post you said you were exporting the data
to a file from Excel, in this last one you mention copy and paste. Which
method are you using?

"Steven" wrote:

I have the | "pipe" delimiter set in my pc's global options.
I work up some database info in excel .xls and when one group of products is
done I copy and paste the info into a .txt file.

Keep in mind this happens when ever I use a quote character in any cell.
But in this case I needed to add the alt="" to the below string but after I
save this txt file and open it up in notepad I find quote marks where they
should not be. ie.

"<IMG SRC=%%URLofImages%%/lights_of_america/2413c_thumb.jpg BORDER=0
alt="""""

All I want is what I typed not the extra quote marks.

Steve

"JLatham" wrote:

Can you explain your problem with this a little more? Or tell us what you
expect to happen and what actually happens?

I haven't investigated the output of .txt type data from Excel, but it is
typical in CSV type files to have quotation marks added to text that contains
the separator character so that the import side of things can tell that a
given separator character is either truly a separator character or is just
another character within a text string.

"Steven" wrote:

Hpefully some one will have and answer for this.
Excel may add quotation marks automatically upon exporting to a txt file
format.

Has this been addressed in Excel 2007.

Thanks
Steve