text import wizard - missing break lines on some columns ?

[tcurrier]

Hi,

Does anyone know why the Text Import Wizard 'misses' putting break lines on some columns? I have a spreadsheet that's fairly wide (about 600 characters), and it seems to only put break lines between the first 300 or 400 so characters.

So, then I have to put the break lines in manually and sometimes I miss a column and have to do the spreadsheet all over again.

Anyone have any ideas ?

Thanks !

 

[Richard Schollar]

Hi

Just to be clear, what exactly do you mean when you say "break lines"? You won't be able to exceed the Excel column limit of 256 columns.

Best regards

Richard

 

[tcurrier]

I have a text file that's 600 characters wide. In this text file are columns of data. When I import this text file into Excel using the Text Import Wizard, the Wizard automatically puts break lines in between my columns of data, except when it gets towards the end of the line.... I'd say approximately between positions 400 and 600, it doesn't put break lines there, even though there's columns of data there in the text file ....

 

[Norie]

As far as I know the text import wizard just 'guesses' where to put line breaks.

Is this file delimited in anyway?

 

[tcurrier]

No, there's no delimiters in the file..... There's a lot more data in positions 1-400 than in 401-600, so I guess it does a better job of 'guessing' when there's more data to look at....

 

[Norie]

So if there are no delimiters how are the columns being determined?

 

[BatmanUK]

Is it a fixed width file? If so, can you not just record a macro when opening the file and use that macro as the basis of a generic process to open files of that type?

 

[tcurrier]

Actually that's a good idea.... but this spreadsheet is a one-shot deal.... The next time I do one, I'll keep your suggestion in mind ......

Thanks!

 

[Richard Schollar]

If possible, it would probably be best to place actual delimiters within the file itself, whether these are commas, semicolons, tabs, or even alphanumerics doesn't matter. You then wouldn't have this problem at all.

Richard