Re: XLParser treats text fields as numeric fields

On Wed, Jan 16, 2013 at 4:30 PM, Ken Sims <mdrg8066@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Why can't Excel just believe that I know what I'm talking about when
in a CSV file I put double quotes around a value that just happens to
be digits????

This is why it is often better to create Excel files directly rather than CSVs.

If you know the data is going to be opened in Excel, but for some
reason you can't create Excel files, then you can do some ugly
(formula-based) hacks in your CSV which will guarantee that Excel
treats your data as text. But with all the free and commercial Excel
libraries available on the i, there isn't much excuse not to just
create Excel files.

CSV is still a convenient and relatively efficient method of data
transport when you control both ends and neither end involves Excel.

John