Importing .xls to Access data type problem

[Ken Finke]

I am trying to import a large file into Access 2003. The file has a couple
of fields that are mostly numbers, but on occasion have a text character.
Access assumes they are numeric and then has a type conversion error when it
imports the record with the text. How can a convince Access to make the
field a text field?
I have tried formating the field in Excel to be text. I tried converting
to a .csv file, but some of the data contains a comma, so that screws up the
field order. I even tried making the table structure first with the proper
field type. What am I missing?

 

[Jerry Whittle]

Three options.

1. Prebuild a table with the proper data types for the fields and import
into it.

2. Put in a bogus first record in the spreadsheet that has the correct data
types. Delete this record after importing the data.

3. Link to the spreadsheet first then use an update or make table query to
bring in the data.

 

[Ken Finke]

Jerry,
Thanks for the suggestions. I had already tried suggestion 1 without
success. While the field was text, Access must have treated the variable as
numeric internally and still gave errors. I just tried suggestion number 3
and it is doing what I want. (as far as I can quickly tell). Thanks for
the help, it is greatly appreciated.
Ken