I am saving Excel workbooks as csv files using VBA code. There are five fields in the spreadsheet and on all of them, the last field is blank. The files save OK, but when they are opened using for example MS Word, the first 15 records have a comma after the 4th field, but after that there is no comma. This is giving problems uploading to an Oracle Database because of the missing commas. Any ideas why this is happening? The spreadsheet is in Excel 2003,
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> blank in some of them...
It would depend on the frequency. If there is a 16-row area (or more) aligned with one of the 16-row export batches, where all columns but the first are blank, you should get no commas at all for the 16 exported lines in the CSV file.
At least, that is what my tests showed.
(°v°)
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by: harfangPosted on 2009-11-07 at 20:27:07ID: 25769391
That's very peculiar.
It appears that rows are exported in batches of 16 rows. For each batch, the number of commas is determined depending on which cells are empty. Since your first row has titles, the first batch contains 15 rows, with the correct number of commas.
This is a clearly a bug. I don't think there is an option of parameter to solve this in any "official" manner.
I'm afraid you will have to write something in all blank cells. This isn't as complicated as it sounds:
* Select current region (Ctrl+[*])
* (Edit | Goto...) or F5
* [Special]
* Blanks
Then type the formula ="" and validate with Ctrl+Enter, affecting all selected cells at once.
The formula evaluates to a "zero-length string", which is different from a blank cell. The export to CSV process will then produce all commas up to the last column, even if they look the same.
If you later need to clear these cells again, use again "goto special", and select "Formulas" and "Text".
More information about BLANK versus ZLS: http:/A_1910.html
Good luck!
(°v°)