exporting excel to csv large fields save as "####"

[Guest]

I have to save an Excel *.xls to csv ,
sadly some VERY long Excel text fields characters are being saved
as ############# (are long fields stored as some kind of blob?).

Is there any Excel based solution? (I have found a 3rd party convertor)

I save-as tab-separated txt file (but it's the same for other csv formats).
Version Fully updated Excel 2002

 

[Guest]

Hi,
Has anyone even seen this?

 

[Dave Peterson]

First some questions...

#1. Do you see the ### characters in excel before you do the save?
#2. Do you see the ### characters in the .csv file when you open that .csv file
in notepad--or some other text editor?
#3. Or do you see the ### characters after you reopen the .csv file in excel.



I've seen the ### characters in long text cells that are formatted as Text. But
that occurs in excel, itself.

If you're seeing the ### characters in excel, just format those cells as
General.

 

[Guest]

First some questions...

#1. Do you see the ### characters in excel before you do the save?
#2. Do you see the ### characters in the .csv file when you open that .csv file
in notepad--or some other text editor?
#3. Or do you see the ### characters after you reopen the .csv file in excel.



I've seen the ### characters in long text cells that are formatted as Text. But
that occurs in excel, itself.

If you're seeing the ### characters in excel, just format those cells as
General.

Dave2Dave

In Excel the "long" description column appears as ##### but when I click on
any particular cell the underlying text appears correctly. When I save to CSV
and open with a(ny) text editors I see these miserable ####'s.

When I convert to csv with ConvertXLS.exe the text is OK, however the end
client won't have convertxls.

I can send you the xls if you feel that would be useful.

 

[Dave Peterson]

Did you try reformatting the cell that shows ### to general (from Text)?

(I don't know what ConvertXLS.exe is, so I won't be any help with that.)

 

[Guest]

Did you try reformatting the cell that shows ### to general (from Text)?

(I don't know what ConvertXLS.exe is, so I won't be any help with that.)

dave2dave

Yep it works 4 me now as well, I think (formerly) I was only setting one
cell to General instead of the whole column.

Any ways superthanx!!

BTW is the fact that "Text" format saves to #### a bug or a feature?

zzapper

 

[Dave Peterson]

I'd guess a minor bug.

But if you like that behavior, you can call it a feature <vbg>.