RE: Comma delimiter for csv downloads?

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Nick,

Thanks for your attention. I'm sorry but I expect the following will not be
much help.

The site is a major stockbroker in Australia, and one needs to be a
registered user to logon and download watchlist information, but I really
doubt that there has been a change on the server at the same time I upgraded
and reinstalled everything.

When downloading these files, the downloaded file normally opens in Excel
within an IE6 window and displays no filetype, etc in the heading. The first
indication I can get of filetype is if I try to save it and, as mentioned
earlier, it tries to save it as Text (Tab Delimited).

However, I have just tried the download with a "Save As" option, and before
I specify a file type, it has selected "csv". In fact, if I proceed with that
and save as csv, and then open the saved file, Excel works just fine!

So I obviously have another "workaround", but not the real thing (I just
want to view the file without saving it).

Thanks again for your interest.


"Nick B" wrote:

> Interesting. Sounds like, perhaps, a change on the server. Can you provide us
> with a link to a sample file? If the file does not have an extension, then it
> should be prompting you asking what program to open the file with. If it has
> a CSV, then all should be well. Sounds like the files on the server have a
> .txt extension instead perhaps. Any chance you can supply us with a link?
>
> "Les M" wrote:
>
> > Nick,
> >
> > The files have commas, and when Excel is using comma as delimiter all is
> > well. But I have to go through the process of Data/Text to
> > Columns/Delimited/comma to get Excel to recognise the commas as delimiters -
> > even though comma is specified in Regional settings as the list separator.
> >
> > I normally download and open the files without saving them, so at the time
> > of opening, there isn't a file extension. However, if I download and try to
> > save, they try to save as "Text (Tab Delimited)". If I override that and
> > force them to save as .csv, then they will open correctly in future.
> >
> > What I have always done is simply download and open, use the info (stock
> > prices) and then exit without saving the file at all. And that's what I'd
> > like to continue to do. But since moving to Windows XP and reinstalling
> > Office, it seems that Excel just won't work that way.
> >
> > "Nick B" wrote:
> >
> > > If you open one of the files in Notepad, before opening in Excel, can you
> > > verify that the files have commas and not another delimiter?
> > > Are the files being saved with the .csv extension, or by any chance are they
> > > being saved with .csv.txt extension? (i.e. the actual extension is being
> > > hidden -- open My Computer, Tools->Folder Options, View tab and verify that
> > > Hide extensions for known file types is NOT selected.)
> > >
> > > "Les M" wrote:
> > >
> > > > I have recently upgraded to Windows XP Home edition and have reinstalled all
> > > > my applications. I regularly download csv files from one particular site and
> > > > use them in Excel, but now they always download with all data in column A (in
> > > > the past they downloaded correctly as csv files, using separate columns).
> > > >
> > > > In Control panel/Regional settings, comma is specified as the list
> > > > separator, but this is not having the required effect.
> > > >
> > > > I can go through the "Data/Text to Columns/Delimited/comma" process each
> > > > time I download (and that process works), but I would like the default to
> > > > operate as it should.
> > > >
> > > > Any helpful advice would be appreciated.
.

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