Excel 365 problem when opening CSV file containing the @ symbol

[mrc1925]

Hello,

I am using Excel 365 and have an issue that has appeared sometime within the last 30 days with regards to how Excel opens and converts CSV (comma separated values) files.

I normally open several CSV format files every month. When I open the files, Excel parses out the columns automatically. One of the columns has items that begin with the @ symbol. Previously, this was left as a text field when opened in Excel. Now, when I open these files, there is = sign in front of the @ symbol so Excel thinks this is a formula and then returns the error #name?. Data example below:


SERIAL#, MODEL#, TYPE,PART, PART DESCRIPTION

"SERIAL#1","'0123456","AAA","@thing1","THING ONE"
"SERIAL#2","'0987654","BBB","@THING2","THING TWO"

The PART column with @thing1 appears as =@THING1 which returns the error.

It seems there may have been a logic change of some sort with Excel 365 on how it interprets the @ symbol sometime within the last 30 days.

Any thoughts on how or why this is happening and any way to prevent it?

Thank you

 

[mrc1925]

Update: We elected to just remove the @ symbol altogether since the customer really doesn't need to see it. However, I thought I would try your suggestion of replacing the @ with '@ as a test. The results were that the cell now contains ''@ (since text) and '@ is visible. Before, the cell just had @ even though there was the ' character in the cell denoting it was text. I guess there isn't a way to keep it just as it was so when the customer opens the file, they see only the @ sign without quotes visible in the cell.

 

[Fluff]

Not that I'm aware of, although if it already had a ' at the start of the cell I'm surprised that it added the = sign, thereby converting it to a formula.

 

[mrc1925]

The CSV file has "@thing1" (double quotes before and after). When it was opened previously, it would reflect @thing1 as the visible part of the cell but the ' was actually added when the file was opened because Excel viewed the data as text I assume.

 

[Fluff]

Yes that's how it would have been before the advent of Dynamic Arrays, unfortunately Xl now sees it as a formula & will add the = sign, unless you imprt the data & set the column as text in the import wizard.

 

[mrc1925]

Ok, thanks again.

 

[Fluff]

My pleasure