Excel Excel CSV file

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Chris ICT

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Hi, as I download a CSV file on my laptop from a phone containing his local contacts (via web interface), I see this file as a regular excel workbook with different column’s and rows although it is a CSV file. If I do the same with another computer i see this file as I would expect in a typical CVS layout.

So this has to be a local setting in my excel, I guess. Can someone tell me where to find this setting or why this is so.

Thanks for your help
 
This is a Windows setting. It depends on what you have the default program set for a CSV file. CSV means Comma Separated Values, and a lot of times, Excel will be set as the default because it can easily open it up and separate the data into columns with the commas. The icon itself doesn't really change the data. If you want to open it with another program, like Notepad, just right click and choose Open With. Choose the program you want to open the file with, and if you want to change the default, just make sure to check "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file." I hope this helps!
 
It's not related to how you save the file (I use to mess up a lot of files like that... until I started saving them correctly)

And a related question - does anybody happen to know how to reverse the effect (so that it won't show me the columns in an array form, but in the regular column form)

Hoping the question was clear enough :rolleyes:

Thanks!
 
I don't understand... Are you trying to answer the OP's question, or asking a new one? Reverse what effect? And what do you mean by array form and column form? Excel is all columns and rows, which can also be referred to as an array.
 
Sorry, it came out a bit... unclear :confused:
First I tried to answer OP's question with my experience in saving CSV in the wrong format... Guess it doesn't sound too helpful...

Second - from his description of the problem - I thought that maybe the columns were presented as rows in an array form (like they would be presented in js for example).
say I have the following columns: name, age, favourite liquor
each column has some values in it.
after saving the file in the wrong format (which is not CSV or Excel spreadsheet) - I open the file and see something like that:
First row - name, Mac, Tony, Rook
Second row - age, 20, 28, 29
Third row - favourite liquor, beer, beer, beer

So I want to turn the rows into columns again (the way their supposed to be)
Better this time? :wave:

Thanks!
 
I think I got ya this time. To swap columns and rows, you would select an entire array and copy. Then select the first cell in the array and right click on it. Choose "Paste Special" and check "Transpose." That will flop the data around.
 
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