28/12/2014
useful tips on:- How to create a CSV
file. A comma-separated values (CSV) file is
any file containing text that is separated
with a comma , but can also be a file
separated with any other character. To
create a CSV is as simple as creating any
text file and can be created in any text
editor, however, is often created in a
spreadsheet program such as Microsoft
Excel or Open Office Calc. Below are the
steps on how to create a CSV file using a
text editor such as Notepad, Microsoft
Excel, Open Office Calc, and Google Docs.
Notepad (or any text editor)
Microsoft Excel
Open Office Calc
Google Docs
Notepad (or any text editor)
To create a CSV file in a text editor open a
new text editor program, such as Notepad .
Once open write the text data you want
the file to contain and separate each field
or column of data with a comma and each
row with a new line.
Title1,Title2,Title3
one,two,three
example1,example
2,example3
As an example, if you were to create a text
file with the above data, and save it as a
CSV file, each column is created by each
comma and each row is created by each
new line. Therefore, the above data if
opened in a spreadsheet program such as
Microsoft Excel would create a table
similar to the example below.
Title1 Title2 Title3
one two three
example1 example2 example3
If the data you're planning to use in your
CSV file already has comma's, such as an
address; it's easier to use a different
delimiter to separate each of the values.
For example, in the below CSV file we will
be creating names and addresses for
labels that will be printed and are
separating each name and address label
with a tilde character. Alternatively a
better solution would be to have the
address, city, and state in their own
column.
Name
Street Address
City, State ZIP Code
~Mr John Smith
123 Fake address
Salt Lake City, Utah
89110
~Mrs Jane Doe
586 Another fake
Delta, Utah 84624
~Bill White
123 N Fake Street
St Anthony, Idaho
83445
Microsoft Excel
Open Microsoft Excel and the file you
want to save as a CSV file. For example,
below is the data contained in our
example Excel worksheet.
Item Cost Sold Profit
Keyboa
rd
$10.
00
$16.
00
$6.
00
Monito
r
$80.
00
$120.
00
$40.
00
Mouse $5.
00
$7.00 $2.
00
Total $48.
00
Once open, click File , choose the Save As
option, and as the Save as type : select the
CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv) option.
Once saved, if you were to open the CSV
file in a text editor, such as Notepad, the
CSV file should resemble the example
below.
Item,Cost,Sold,
Profit
Keyboard,$10.00,
$16.00,$6.00
Monitor,$80.00,
$120.00,$40.00
Mouse,$5.00,
$7.00,$2.00
,,Total,$48.00
Open Office Calc
Open the Open Office Calc and the file you
want to save as a CSV file. For example,
below is the data contained in our
example Calc worksheet.
Item Cost Sold Profit
Keyboa
rd
$10.
00
$16.
00
$6.
00
Monito
r
$80.
00
$120.
00
$40.
00
Mouse $5.
00
$7.00 $2.
00
Total $48.
00
Once open, click File , choose the Save As
option, and as the Save as type : select the
Text CSV (.csv) (*.csv) option. Once
saved, if you were to open the CSV file in
a text editor such as Notepad the CSV file
should resemble the example below.
Item,Cost,Sold,
Profit
Keyboard,$10.00,
$16.00,$6.00
Monitor,$80.00,
$120.00,$40.00
Mouse,$5.00,
$7.00,$2.00
,,Total,$48.00
Google Docs
Open Google Docs and the Spreadsheet
file you want to save as a CSV file. Click
File , Download as , and then select CSV
(current sheet) . or visit www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001356.htm
Steps on how you can create a CSV file in a text editor such as notepad, microsoft excel, open office calc, and google docs.
