Strange saving of “csv” files in Excel
Lets clarify and look in more detail at the strange saving of the files. In addition when we do it manually, we will run a macro recording
We will concentrate on the CSV (______)A1B1A2.csv
Comma delimited
Initially, if you are starting from Excel with more than one worksheet showing, then an initial pop up warns you of this:
PopUpWarningOfMultipleSheets.JPG : https://imgur.com/QLscU1a
This initial pop up will not be shown if you have just one sheet showing at the Save stage
Assuming we have said OK at the above pop up, or have not had this pop up, we examine now the set of pop ups that occur always..
In both cases answering with Yes
On the SaveAs ( or Save ) I get this prompt
SaveAs or Save CSV (Comma delimited).JPG : : https://imgur.com/SQPHjWI
WarningOnManualSaveOrSaveAScsv(Comma delimited).JPG : https://imgur.com/QiH8phI
and these 2 prompts on the Close, ( the second of which is identical to that from the Save or SaveAs )
this first being strange since I already just Saved the file
AskToSaveTheChangesAfterSave CSV (Comma delimited).JPG : : https://imgur.com/8ih47Ty
FirstWarningOnManualClose CSV (Comma delimited).jpg : https://imgur.com/dAxojzW
The second is identical to that on the save : https://imgur.com/SQPHjWI
SecondWarningOnManualClose CSV (Comma delimited).JPG : https://imgur.com/TY9eBqq
The files as seen in test editor, or from my function, after is like
CellA1;CellA2
CellA3;
The given macro coding from the macro recorder.
Code:
Sub CSVTests()
ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs Filename:="F:\Excel0202015Jan2016\ExcelFox\vixer\csv Text file Chaos\CSV (Comma delimited)A1B1A2.csv", FileFormat:=xlCSV, CreateBackup:=False
ActiveWorkbook.Save: ActiveWindow.Close
End Sub
If I answer No for the attempt at Save or SaveAs, then I will get the option to save as an Excel file
Answer No on SaveAs or Save CSV (Comma delimited).JPG : https://imgur.com/uXWo8vz
If I answer Yes for the attempt at Save or SaveAs, but then on Close , answer No to the first prompt, then I get that first prompt only: I don’t get the second prompt. But,
_there is a no difference in the macro from the macro recorder
and
_there is no difference in the file seen in a text editor after.
Should I now open manually the file, I find that the file has the values put, one in each cell, to reproduce the file such that it looks exactly as I created it originally
If I run the macro obtained from the macro recorder, then on the SaveAs or Save , I don’t get any prompt
On Close I get the first prompt only
DoYouWantToSaveChangesOnCloseDespiteAlreadySavedCS V with maco.JPG : https://imgur.com/BihBGOH
If I answer Yes or No , the file is saved without the second prompt as was the manual case.
Strangely, my file as seen in a text editor is different to that obtained whilst manually doing the recording: It has now commas as the separator/delimiter
cellA1,cellB1
cellA2,
Should I open this now manually, I will find that my row data is spit as before, but , I loose the columns, - that is to say the entire row information, including the , separator appear in the first column. So what is happening is that the , separator is not being recognised as a separator, and instead is being taken as pure text: My file is being seen as a text file having just rows of text, with no separator: In other words it could be regarded as a text file intended to hold the text values to be inserted into column A of an Excel File-
| Row\Col |
A |
B |
|---|
1 |
CellA1,CellA2 |
|
2 |
CellA3, |
|
The conclusions are that manually closing I always get the ; as separator/delimiter, and by closing with a macro I always get the ,
Lets just say that again in another way. I do anything manually, and I end up with ; as the separator
I do anything with a macro and I end up with the , as separator.
Even if I record a macro when doing it manually, that same macro if run later will end up giving me the , as separator. This last point is likely to be a source of possible confusion
Just for completeness, the next post will check the same for saving as CSV Macintosh and CSV MS-DOS
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnxwq2aGJRbjOo_MO54oaHA
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