Some of our catalog data is housed in CSV files (which are not created by us). We modify that data in Excel. The problem is, when I open the file in Excel, it
"helpfully" automatically formats some of the cells to be in Date or Scientific Notation (thus turning a SKU like 700E75 to7.00E+77 or stripping the
leading zero off a SKU like 08735). This, of course, royally screws up the data. I can fix it, then save back to the CSV file, but when I open the file again,
the data gets screwed up again.
We are in and out of these files dozens of times a day, so a lengthy workaround to get these files open would be more frustrating that my current practice of fixing the same problems over and over and over again. We cannot keep the CSV files open when we're synchronizing the data in them to our InDesign documents as the Plug-In we're using won't read a file that's already open.
For the Love of All that is Holy and my Ever-Loving Sanity, is there anyway at all to keep Excel from being helpful? I just want to see the data EXACTLY as it appears in the CSV file without having to look at it raw, as I would if if I opened it in a text editor.
Or is it too much to ask that Microsoft allows me to use its software without it holding my hand?
I should note that I've tried opening the same CSV file in Excel 2007 and it has the same problem, never mind the fact that this is not the right time for my department to upgrade all of our computers to Excel 2007 due to the rotten economy.
We are in and out of these files dozens of times a day, so a lengthy workaround to get these files open would be more frustrating that my current practice of fixing the same problems over and over and over again. We cannot keep the CSV files open when we're synchronizing the data in them to our InDesign documents as the Plug-In we're using won't read a file that's already open.
For the Love of All that is Holy and my Ever-Loving Sanity, is there anyway at all to keep Excel from being helpful? I just want to see the data EXACTLY as it appears in the CSV file without having to look at it raw, as I would if if I opened it in a text editor.
Or is it too much to ask that Microsoft allows me to use its software without it holding my hand?
I should note that I've tried opening the same CSV file in Excel 2007 and it has the same problem, never mind the fact that this is not the right time for my department to upgrade all of our computers to Excel 2007 due to the rotten economy.
