Linking CSV file

John Calder · External Since: Aug 03, 2006 Posts: 49

Hi

I run W2K with Excel 2K.

I have a workbook that links to a file on a server. The file on the server
is a file that is downloaded from a mainframe in a CSV format. Also, although
this file is a csv format it has been setup to download with a .XLS extension.

For my workbook link to this file to work correctly, I have to open up the
csv file and save it as an true Excel file. If I do not do this then the file
on my computer does not automatically update the links.

Is there anyway I can have my links to automatically update correctly
without having to save the csv file as an Excel file?

Any help is much appreciated.

John

macropod · External Since: Sep 27, 2005 Posts: 994

Hi John,

Not really, but you could automate the opening of the csv file whenever you
open your Excel workbook. Also, it's not a good idea to mis-name the csv
file's extension. This makes no difference to how Excel processes the file,
but it's misleading, since any app capable of reading a text file (eg Notepad,
Word) can also read csv files, but not necessarily Excel (xls) files.

Cheers

--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

"John Calder" <JohnCalder.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A01558AE-021B-4B48-A3DE-B84CFBC302CE@microsoft.com...
| Hi
|
| I run W2K with Excel 2K.
|
| I have a workbook that links to a file on a server. The file on the server
| is a file that is downloaded from a mainframe in a CSV format. Also,
although
| this file is a csv format it has been setup to download with a .XLS
extension.
|
| For my workbook link to this file to work correctly, I have to open up the
| csv file and save it as an true Excel file. If I do not do this then the
file
| on my computer does not automatically update the links.
|
| Is there anyway I can have my links to automatically update correctly
| without having to save the csv file as an Excel file?
|
| Any help is much appreciated.
|
| John

John Calder · External Since: Aug 03, 2006 Posts: 49

Thanks for your response. I am not exactly sure how to open the csv file
automatically from my workbook but I will ask the question in another work
group. As for naming the csv file with a xls extension I am afraid I dont
have any control over that so I will have to work with what I have got.

Thanks again

John

"macropod" wrote:

> Hi John,
>
> Not really, but you could automate the opening of the csv file whenever you
> open your Excel workbook. Also, it's not a good idea to mis-name the csv
> file's extension. This makes no difference to how Excel processes the file,
> but it's misleading, since any app capable of reading a text file (eg Notepad,
> Word) can also read csv files, but not necessarily Excel (xls) files.
>
> Cheers
>
> --
> macropod
> [MVP - Microsoft Word]
>
>
> "John Calder" <JohnCalder DeleteThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:A01558AE-021B-4B48-A3DE-B84CFBC302CE@microsoft.com...
> | Hi
> |
> | I run W2K with Excel 2K.
> |
> | I have a workbook that links to a file on a server. The file on the server
> | is a file that is downloaded from a mainframe in a CSV format. Also,
> although
> | this file is a csv format it has been setup to download with a .XLS
> extension.
> |
> | For my workbook link to this file to work correctly, I have to open up the
> | csv file and save it as an true Excel file. If I do not do this then the
> file
> | on my computer does not automatically update the links.
> |
> | Is there anyway I can have my links to automatically update correctly
> | without having to save the csv file as an Excel file?
> |
> | Any help is much appreciated.
> |
> | John
>
>
>

Ed Ferrero · External Since: Dec 12, 2005 Posts: 105

Hi John,

If you use Data -> Import External Data and point to the csv file as the
external data source, then you will have a data range that can be refreshed
at any time.

Ed Ferrero

> Hi
>
> I run W2K with Excel 2K.
>
> I have a workbook that links to a file on a server. The file on the server
> is a file that is downloaded from a mainframe in a CSV format. Also,
> although
> this file is a csv format it has been setup to download with a .XLS
> extension.
>
> For my workbook link to this file to work correctly, I have to open up the
> csv file and save it as an true Excel file. If I do not do this then the
> file
> on my computer does not automatically update the links.
>
> Is there anyway I can have my links to automatically update correctly
> without having to save the csv file as an Excel file?
>
> Any help is much appreciated.
>
> John

John Calder · External Since: Aug 03, 2006 Posts: 49

Thanks Ed !

But I run Excel 2000 and when I select "Data" I dont get "Import External
Data" as an option.

My options are;

Data
Get External Data
Import Text File

Thanks

"Ed Ferrero" wrote:

> Hi John,
>
> If you use Data -> Import External Data and point to the csv file as the
> external data source, then you will have a data range that can be refreshed
> at any time.
>
> Ed Ferrero
>
> > Hi
> >
> > I run W2K with Excel 2K.
> >
> > I have a workbook that links to a file on a server. The file on the server
> > is a file that is downloaded from a mainframe in a CSV format. Also,
> > although
> > this file is a csv format it has been setup to download with a .XLS
> > extension.
> >
> > For my workbook link to this file to work correctly, I have to open up the
> > csv file and save it as an true Excel file. If I do not do this then the
> > file
> > on my computer does not automatically update the links.
> >
> > Is there anyway I can have my links to automatically update correctly
> > without having to save the csv file as an Excel file?
> >
> > Any help is much appreciated.
> >
> > John
>
>
>

Ed Ferrero · External Since: Dec 12, 2005 Posts: 105

Hi John,

In Excel 2000, use Data -> Get External Data. Other steps are the same.

Ed Ferrero
www.edferrero.com

> Thanks Ed !
>
> But I run Excel 2000 and when I select "Data" I dont get "Import External
> Data" as an option.
>
> My options are;
>
> Data
> Get External Data
> Import Text File
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
> "Ed Ferrero" wrote:
>
>> Hi John,
>>
>> If you use Data -> Import External Data and point to the csv file as the
>> external data source, then you will have a data range that can be
>> refreshed
>> at any time.
>>
>> Ed Ferrero
>>
>> > Hi
>> >
>> > I run W2K with Excel 2K.
>> >
>> > I have a workbook that links to a file on a server. The file on the
>> > server
>> > is a file that is downloaded from a mainframe in a CSV format. Also,
>> > although
>> > this file is a csv format it has been setup to download with a .XLS
>> > extension.
>> >
>> > For my workbook link to this file to work correctly, I have to open up
>> > the
>> > csv file and save it as an true Excel file. If I do not do this then
>> > the
>> > file
>> > on my computer does not automatically update the links.
>> >
>> > Is there anyway I can have my links to automatically update correctly
>> > without having to save the csv file as an Excel file?
>> >
>> > Any help is much appreciated.
>> >
>> > John
>>
>>
>>

Bubey · External Since: Mar 03, 2007 Posts: 9

John, did you ever solve this problem? I download
my bank account files
in CSV but IE won't give me the option to save or
run, they just automatically
open up in IE html format.

"John Calder"
<JohnCalder DeleteThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message
news:AA0E7D58-2908-4B29-B475-9B625BD956B1@microsoft.com...
Thanks Ed !

But I run Excel 2000 and when I select "Data" I
dont get "Import External
Data" as an option.

My options are;

Data
Get External Data
Import Text File

Thanks

"Ed Ferrero" wrote:

> Hi John,
>
> If you use Data -> Import External Data and
> point to the csv file as the
> external data source, then you will have a data
> range that can be refreshed
> at any time.
>
> Ed Ferrero
>
> > Hi
> >
> > I run W2K with Excel 2K.
> >
> > I have a workbook that links to a file on a
> > server. The file on the server
> > is a file that is downloaded from a mainframe
> > in a CSV format. Also,
> > although
> > this file is a csv format it has been setup to
> > download with a .XLS
> > extension.
> >
> > For my workbook link to this file to work
> > correctly, I have to open up the
> > csv file and save it as an true Excel file. If
> > I do not do this then the
> > file
> > on my computer does not automatically update
> > the links.
> >
> > Is there anyway I can have my links to
> > automatically update correctly
> > without having to save the csv file as an
> > Excel file?
> >
> > Any help is much appreciated.
> >
> > John
>
>
>

Avinash Shukla · External Since: Jun 28, 2007 Posts: 5

HI,
I NEED TO KNOW THAT I AM USING OFFICE2003 FOR THAT HOW CAN I DOWNLOAD CSV
FILE AUTOMATICALLY IN EXCEL & CAN I UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY

HELP REQUIRED
THANKS
AVINASH

"Bubey" <catlovr2 RemoveThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:%23kyNpJIiHHA.3412@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> John, did you ever solve this problem? I download
> my bank account files
> in CSV but IE won't give me the option to save or
> run, they just automatically
> open up in IE html format.
>
> "John Calder"
> <JohnCalder RemoveThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
> message
> news:AA0E7D58-2908-4B29-B475-9B625BD956B1@microsoft.com...
> Thanks Ed !
>
> But I run Excel 2000 and when I select "Data" I
> dont get "Import External
> Data" as an option.
>
> My options are;
>
> Data
> Get External Data
> Import Text File
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
> "Ed Ferrero" wrote:
>
>> Hi John,
>>
>> If you use Data -> Import External Data and
>> point to the csv file as the
>> external data source, then you will have a data
>> range that can be refreshed
>> at any time.
>>
>> Ed Ferrero
>>
>> > Hi
>> >
>> > I run W2K with Excel 2K.
>> >
>> > I have a workbook that links to a file on a
>> > server. The file on the server
>> > is a file that is downloaded from a mainframe
>> > in a CSV format. Also,
>> > although
>> > this file is a csv format it has been setup to
>> > download with a .XLS
>> > extension.
>> >
>> > For my workbook link to this file to work
>> > correctly, I have to open up the
>> > csv file and save it as an true Excel file. If
>> > I do not do this then the
>> > file
>> > on my computer does not automatically update
>> > the links.
>> >
>> > Is there anyway I can have my links to
>> > automatically update correctly
>> > without having to save the csv file as an
>> > Excel file?
>> >
>> > Any help is much appreciated.
>> >
>> > John
>>
>>
>>
>

Magnusn · Joined: Mar 03, 2009 Posts: 1

Excel 2003

Create data import
1. Open Excel and open a new file. This will be your new document that will contain linked-in data (.csv files)
2. Go to Data menu > Import External Data > Import Data
3. Browse to the data file you wish to import data from.
4. Select file and click Open
5. In the Text Import Wizard, select type of delimiter to correctly import your data.
6. Click finish to exit Wizard
7. In Import Data dialog, click OK

Data will now be correctly displayed in your worksheet.

Update Worksheet
(When your data file (e.g. .csv file) is changed. E.g. data in fields change or columns and rows are added.)
1. Right click on a single cell and select Refresh Data.
2. Click OK in the Security dialog
3. In the Import Text File dialog the file used when setting up the import scenario will be selected. Just click Import and the worksheet will be updated.
4. Save file

Done!

PS. Some formatting such as AutoFilter might be lost during refresh.

/Magnus