Keeping leading 0's

G

Guest

I'm using Excell 2003 and have spreadsheet(s) provided by vendors, where
one column is formated as text and is used to store part numbers which are
alpha numeric. Some part numbers start with "0". It is absolutely necessary
to preserve the leading zero, as a part number "01" is different than a part
number of "1".

Problem:

In order to import the data that is in my spreadsheet, into my Unix Database
I must save my spreadsheet as a comma deliminated file (CSV). When I save my
spreadsheet as a CSV file it strips the leading 0's from the part numbers. I
have done every thing I can think of to preserve the leading 0's without any
luck.

Question:

Does any one know how to preserve the leading 0's when saving a Excell 2003
spreadsheet to a CSV file.

Rapidly going bald,
Charlie
 
G

Guest

Could you add a leading "X" in front of the leading 0's? That would be easy
to then strip it out once it's in Excel, leaving the leading 0 in place.

Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3
 
G

Guest

Thanks for the response. That would work if we needed to put it back into an
Excel spreadsheet. The problem is that we are trying to transfer the data in
the spreadsheet to a propriatary Unix database.

What happens is that we get a spreadsheet from our vendors that contains
their current pricing onthe parts they sell. We clean up what they send us
putting it into a specific format. The Excel spreadsheet is then saved as a
CSV file. The CSV file is FTP'd to the UNIX server and propriatory software
is run on the CSV file to first convert it from a DOS/Windows CVSi file nto
a UNIX .txt file, and then into a propriatary DAT file which is then
imported to the Propriatary database.

The reason I am stressing the fact that the Unix database is propratary, is
that I cannot modify what it does and how it does it. To import data from a
Windows/Dos Based platform , I must use an Excel spreadsheet saved in CSV
format, and nothing else. That is why the leading "0's" must be in the CSV
file.

Trying to strip the "X's" from the part number once it has been imported
into our database would be very time consuming.

Thanks again for your response

Charlie
 
J

johney

You can try the Custom format "0000000". The number of zeros is the
length of the standard code from your vendor. Format>Cells>Number,
select Custom, and then specify in the input box under "Type:" 0000000.
 
G

Guest

Trying to strip the "X's" from the part number once it has been imported
into our database would be very time consuming.
If you are doing this import just once, or with a very low frequency, you
can choose a strange character instead of the 'X', open the csv file with
notepad/wordpad, and replace all that initial character with the
edit->replace option.
 

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