CSV Import Error on text field with +- (Excel 2003)

[Scott]

Hi,

I'm trying to import the following file (test.txt) in Excel 2003:

[Start of File]
Header 1,Header 2
A test+-20,A test|30+-20
[End of File]

When I attempt to import this, I specify both columns as Text in the
Wizard. However, I get the following in Excel:

A1: Header 1
A2: Header 2
B1: A test+20
B2: A test|30+20

It's dumping the minus sign on me.

Does anyone:
(a) know why this is happening,
(b) know how to get around it, and
(c) know any related problems that I may encounter when importing?

(b) is most relevant to me at present. The others are nice-to-know
things.

Thanks,
Scott

 

[Dave Peterson]

That's pretty weird! And I don't have a guess why excel does this.

But I could do this and get around the problem.

File|Open test.txt
But instead of clicking Open, shift-click open. This avoids the data import
wizard completely and puts all the text in one column. And it includes the
minus!

Then I could select the range and do Data|text to columns to parse the data into
separate columns.

(If you do the file|Open once more and follow the wizard, you'll see that the
minus has already disappeared on the first step of the wizard.)

Hi,

I'm trying to import the following file (test.txt) in Excel 2003:

[Start of File]
Header 1,Header 2
A test+-20,A test|30+-20
[End of File]

When I attempt to import this, I specify both columns as Text in the
Wizard. However, I get the following in Excel:

A1: Header 1
A2: Header 2
B1: A test+20
B2: A test|30+20

It's dumping the minus sign on me.

Does anyone:
(a) know why this is happening,
(b) know how to get around it, and
(c) know any related problems that I may encounter when importing?

(b) is most relevant to me at present. The others are nice-to-know
things.

Thanks,
Scott

 

[Scott]

Thanks! That worked well.

I see what you mean about the Wizard not having it in the first step.

Scott

That's pretty weird! And I don't have a guess why excel does this.

But I could do this and get around the problem.

File|Open test.txt
But instead of clicking Open, shift-click open. This avoids the data import
wizard completely and puts all the text in one column. And it includes the
minus!

Then I could select the range and do Data|text to columns to parse the data into
separate columns.

(If you do the file|Open once more and follow the wizard, you'll see that the
minus has already disappeared on the first step of the wizard.)

Hi,

I'm trying to import the following file (test.txt) in Excel 2003:

[Start of File]
Header 1,Header 2
A test+-20,A test|30+-20
[End of File]

When I attempt to import this, I specify both columns as Text in the
Wizard. However, I get the following in Excel:

A1: Header 1
A2: Header 2
B1: A test+20
B2: A test|30+20

It's dumping the minus sign on me.

Does anyone:
(a) know why this is happening,
(b) know how to get around it, and
(c) know any related problems that I may encounter when importing?

(b) is most relevant to me at present. The others are nice-to-know
things.

Thanks,
Scott