Leading Zero in .csv format

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rob@cabletechnology.com - 18 Jan 2008 14:40 GMT

I've read all the post and blogs on csv files dropping leading zero's
and still haven't found a solution. I have Excel 2002 and when I save
file as .csv it drops the leading zero. I've tried formatting cells as
text before saving as csv, importing data with cells set as text,
under custom format my version of evcel doesn't have an option for
00000 or #0000. I was told that I need to upgrade to a newer version
of excel. Any help would be greatly appriciated..

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Dave Peterson - 18 Jan 2008 15:35 GMT

Don't open the .csv file in excel to check it.

Use NotePad--or some other text editor.

You'll find that the leading zeros are there.

Excel will remove them when you reopen the .csv file--not when excel saves it.

> I've read all the post and blogs on csv files dropping leading zero's
> and still haven't found a solution. I have Excel 2002 and when I save
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> 00000 or #0000. I was told that I need to upgrade to a newer version
> of excel. Any help would be greatly appriciated..

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Dave Peterson

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rob@cabletechnology.com - 18 Jan 2008 15:43 GMT

> Don't open the .csv file in excel to check it.
>
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> Dave Peterson

Okay, If I open the csv the zero is gone. If I open the file in
notepad the zero is present. Does that mean if I upload the csv file
to my database that the number will be whole and the zero present?

Thanks Dave..

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Dave Peterson - 18 Jan 2008 15:51 GMT

I would think it would depend on how your database importing works.

<<snipped>>

> Okay, If I open the csv the zero is gone. If I open the file in
> notepad the zero is present. Does that mean if I upload the csv file
> to my database that the number will be whole and the zero present?
>
> Thanks Dave..

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Ed - 18 Jan 2008 19:33 GMT

Dave,

I'm having the same problem. Is there any way to make Excel open the
.csv file containing a
string of numeric characters with a leading 0, e.g., "03" , and have
it saved in a cell as text instead of
numeric?

TIA

Ed

>I would think it would depend on how your database importing works.
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>>
>> Thanks Dave..

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Dave Peterson - 18 Jan 2008 21:31 GMT

Rename the .csv file to .txt

When you do file|open, you'll be prompted in the text to columns wizard on how
each field should be treated. You can choose text for the fields that should
retain the leading 0's.

Alternatively, you could use:
Data|Import External data (xl2003 menu system) and follow that wizard.

> Dave,
>
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> >
> > Dave Peterson

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