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Home / Uploading a Txt File and the Characters Are Wrong

Uploading a Txt File and the Characters Are Wrong

There are 2 ways to import data from a text file with Excel: y'all can open it in Excel, or y'all can import it equally an external data range. To export data from Excel to a text file, use the Save Equally command and modify the file type from the drop-downwards carte du jour.

There are two unremarkably used text file formats:

  • Delimited text files (.txt), in which the TAB graphic symbol (ASCII character code 009) typically separates each field of text.

  • Comma separated values text files (.csv), in which the comma character (,) typically separates each field of text.

You tin can modify the separator character that is used in both delimited and .csv text files. This may exist necessary to make sure that the import or export operation works the mode that you want it to.

Note:You can import or consign up to 1,048,576 rows and xvi,384 columns.

Import a text file by opening it in Excel

You can open a text file that y'all created in another program as an Excel workbook by using the Open command. Opening a text file in Excel does not change the format of the file — you tin run across this in the Excel title bar, where the name of the file retains the text file proper name extension (for instance, .txt or .csv).

  1. Become to File > Open and scan to the location that contains the text file.

  2. Select Text Files in the file blazon dropdown list in the Open dialog box.

  3. Locate and double-click the text file that y'all desire to open up.

    • If the file is a text file (.txt), Excel starts the Import Text Wizard. When yous are washed with the steps, click Finish to complete the import performance. Run across Text Import Wizard for more information about delimiters and advanced options.

    • If the file is a .csv file, Excel automatically opens the text file and displays the data in a new workbook.

      Note:When Excel opens a .csv file, it uses the current default data format settings to interpret how to import each column of data. If you desire more flexibility in converting columns to different data formats, you lot can use the Import Text Wizard. For example, the format of a data column in the .csv file may exist MDY, but Excel's default data format is YMD, or you desire to catechumen a column of numbers that contains leading zeros to text and then you can preserve the leading zeros. To forcefulness Excel to run the Import Text Wizard, yous tin change the file name extension from .csv to .txt before you lot open information technology, or you tin can import a text file by connecting to information technology (for more information, run into the post-obit section).

Import a text file by connecting to it (Ability Query)

You lot can import data from a text file into an existing worksheet.

  1. On the Information tab, in the Get & Transform Data group, click From Text/CSV.

  2. In the Import Data dialog box, locate and double-click the text file that y'all want to import, and click Import.

  3. In the preview dialog box, you take several options:

    • SelectLoad if you desire to load the data direct to a new worksheet.

    • Alternatively, select Load to if you want to load the information to a table, PivotTable/PivotChart, an existing/new Excel worksheet, or simply create a connexion. Y'all also have the pick of adding your data to the Information Model.

    • Select Transform Information if you lot desire to load the data to Power Query, and edit it earlier bringing information technology to Excel.

If Excel doesn't catechumen a particular column of data to the format that you lot want, then you can convert the data subsequently you import information technology. For more information, see Convert numbers stored equally text to numbers and Convert dates stored as text to dates.

Export data to a text file by saving information technology

Yous tin can convert an Excel worksheet to a text file by using the Save Equally control.

  1. Go to File > Save As.

  2. Click Browse.

  3. In the Relieve As dialog box, under Salvage as blazon box, choose the text file format for the worksheet; for example, click Text (Tab delimited) or CSV (Comma delimited).

    Note:The different formats support dissimilar feature sets. For more data most the feature sets that are supported by the unlike text file formats, see File formats that are supported in Excel.

  4. Scan to the location where you want to save the new text file, and then click Save.

  5. A dialog box appears, reminding you that just the electric current worksheet will be saved to the new file. If you are certain that the current worksheet is the one that y'all want to salve equally a text file, click OK. You tin can save other worksheets as separate text files by repeating this process for each worksheet.

    You may as well run across an alert beneath the ribbon that some features might exist lost if y'all save the workbook in a CSV format.

For more information about saving files in other formats, come across Save a workbook in another file format.

Import a text file past connecting to it

You lot can import data from a text file into an existing worksheet.

  1. Click the jail cell where you want to put the data from the text file.

  2. On the Data tab, in the Get External Data group, click From Text.

  3. In the Import Data dialog box, locate and double-click the text file that you want to import, and click Import.

    Follow the instructions in the Text Import Wizard. Click Help button image on any folio of the Text Import Wizard for more information virtually using the wizard. When you are done with the steps in the magician, click End to complete the import operation.

  4. In the Import Data dialog box, do the following:

    1. Under Where do you lot desire to put the data?, do one of the following:

      • To return the data to the location that yous selected, click Existing worksheet.

      • To render the data to the upper-left corner of a new worksheet, click New worksheet.

    2. Optionally, click Backdrop to set refresh, formatting, and layout options for the imported data.

    3. Click OK.

      Excel puts the external data range in the location that you specify.

If Excel does not convert a cavalcade of information to the format that you want, yous can catechumen the data after you import it. For more than information, encounter Convert numbers stored equally text to numbers and Convert dates stored as text to dates.

Export data to a text file by saving it

You can convert an Excel worksheet to a text file by using the Save As command.

  1. Become to File > Save As.

  2. The Relieve Every bit dialog box appears.

  3. In the Save every bit type box, choose the text file format for the worksheet.

    • For instance, click Text (Tab delimited) or CSV (Comma delimited).

    • Note:The different formats back up different feature sets. For more information nearly the feature sets that are supported by the dissimilar text file formats, see File formats that are supported in Excel.

  4. Browse to the location where you want to save the new text file, so click Save.

  5. A dialog box appears, reminding y'all that only the current worksheet will exist saved to the new file. If y'all are sure that the current worksheet is the ane that you lot desire to save equally a text file, click OK. You can save other worksheets as divide text files by repeating this process for each worksheet.

  6. A second dialog box appears, reminding you that your worksheet may contain features that are non supported past text file formats. If you are interested only in saving the worksheet information into the new text file, click Yeah. If you lot are unsure and would like to know more about which Excel features are not supported by text file formats, click Help for more information.

For more information virtually saving files in other formats, run into Save a workbook in another file format.

The way yous change the delimiter when importing is different depending on how you lot import the text.

  • If you use Become & Transform Data > From Text/CSV, after you cull the text file and click Import, choose a character to employ from the listing nether Delimiter. Y'all can see the event of your new choice immediately in the data preview, so you tin can be sure you make the choice you want before yous proceed.

  • If you lot use the Text Import Wizard to import a text file, y'all tin change the delimiter that is used for the import functioning in Step ii of the Text Import Magician. In this footstep, you tin also modify the way that sequent delimiters, such equally consecutive quotation marks, are handled.

    Meet Text Import Wizard for more information about delimiters and avant-garde options.

If you want to utilize a semi-colon equally the default list separator when y'all Save As .csv, merely demand to limit the change to Excel, consider changing the default decimal separator to a comma - this forces Excel to utilise a semi-colon for the list separator. Obviously, this will also change the way decimal numbers are displayed, so also consider changing the Thousands separator to limit any confusion.

  1. ClearExcel Options > Advanced > Editing options > Use arrangement separators.

  2. Fix Decimal separator to , (a comma).

  3. Set Thousands separator to . (a menses).

When yous save a workbook as a .csv file, the default list separator (delimiter) is a comma. You tin modify this to some other separator character using Windows Region settings.

Caution:Irresolute the Windows setting volition cause a global change on your calculator, affecting all applications. To just modify the delimiter for Excel, encounter Change the default list separator for saving files as text (.csv) in Excel.

  1. In Microsoft Windows 10, right-click the Beginning button, and then click Settings.

  2. Click Fourth dimension & Language, so click Region in the left panel.

  3. In the main panel, under Regional settings, click Additional engagement, time, and regional settings.

  4. Nether Region, click Change engagement, time, or number formats.

  5. In the Region dialog, on the Format tab, click Boosted settings.

  6. In the Customize Format dialog, on the Numbers tab, type a character to utilise equally the new separator in the List separator box.

  7. Click OK twice.

  1. In Microsoft Windows, click the Get-go button, and then click Control Console.

  2. Under Clock, Linguistic communication, and Region, click Modify date, fourth dimension, or number formats.

  3. In the Region dialog, on the Format tab, click Additional settings.

  4. In the Customize Format dialog, on the Numbers tab, blazon a character to use as the new separator in the List separator box.

  5. Click OK twice.

Note: Later on you modify the list separator character for your reckoner, all programs use the new graphic symbol every bit a listing separator. You can change the character back to the default character by following the same procedure.

Need more assistance?

You can e'er inquire an practiced in the Excel Tech Community or get back up in the Answers community.

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Source: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/import-or-export-text-txt-or-csv-files-5250ac4c-663c-47ce-937b-339e391393ba