- +27 (0) 31 762 2729
- Email us
- Subscribe to our blog
- Visit our website
-
Home → Wiki → Mac → Excel for Mac ignores column formats
32.1. Excel for Mac ignores column formats
Question
How can I get my ResRequest documents to import with the correct column layout in Excel for Mac?
Answer
When files are exported from ResRequest, the standard csv (comma separate value) export format is used. Some versions of Excel for Mac do not recognise csv file formats when they are opened using the File > Open function. When a csv file is opened using this method Excel for Mac shows data columns separated with comma and quotes as separators (instead of separated as columns).
If you are an Excel for Mac user and you experience these symptoms when opening ResRequest export files, please notify our call centre (support@resrequest.com) by sending the following information to them: the report you generated from ResRequest and the Excel version you are running on your Mac.
In the meantime, you are able to import these files into Excel by following the steps detailed below.
- Step 1
Open a blank worksheet in Excel for Mac.
From the main menu select: Data>Get External Data>Import Text File... - Step 2
Locate the file and select Get Data - Step 3
From the Text Import Wizard (Step 1 of 3) select to open the file as Delimited and click Next - Step 4
On (Step 2 of 3) set the Delimiters as: Semicolon and Comma with Text qualifier: as " and click Next. - Step 5
On (Step 3 of 3) keep the default settings as per the screen sample left and select Finish. - Step 6
Select where to insert the imported file i.e. into an Existing Sheet or a New Sheet and click OK. - Step 7b (optional)
If the imported data includes quotations, you can remove these as follows:
From the main menu select: Edit>Replace - Step 7b
Insert " in the Find what: field and click Replace All this will remove all " from the document.