How do I import csv into numbers?

These posts are almost a year old, but I still feel like adding a few notes.

I'm in Denmark, so a standard CSV-file uses semicolon as field seperator. This is basically because our floating point seperator is a comma, not a dot (we write 123,45 - not 123.45).

If I drag a comma-CSV file onto the Numbers icon - or just open it from the application - it fails. Everything is in the first column. However - if I drag the file onto an open spreadsheet, it works.

Editing a CSV-file in a text editor is a bad idea however. Doing a search and replace might break the file - or the content. You need some regular expression to only match the field seperators, not the same characters which might exists inside quotes (the string delimiter). And string delimiters are only needed if the string contains special characters (line break, field or string delimiter)

Anyway - try dragging the file onto a new, open spreadsheet. Did the trick for me without heavy search/replace operations.

In order to change Decimal Point on your computer, you have to go through a series of hidden buttons.

Here are instructions on where to find what you need:

Open System Preferences, click on the 'Language & Text' Icon.

At top of dialog box it defaults to "Language' ... you need to click on 'Formats' tab.

Here you will find 'Customize ... ' Buttons

Click on Customize button to the right of 'Numbers'

Finally.

Here is where you change your decimal point settings.

This isn't working for me... I've dragged the cvs file onto an open spreadsheet and it just puts the data within one column and seperate rows.

The data within the csv is seperated by semicolons and i'm in the US.

Please help.

This.

Just so you know... CSV stands for COMMA Separate Values. Since the file you are attempting to read in as a CSV is using a semi-colon as the delimter Numbers does not know what do do. Open the file in a text editor and replace the semi-colons with either commas or tabs.

If both of those are characters are in "cells" then this may be a challenge.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Taken from wikipedia:

A comma-separated values (CSV) (also sometimes called character-separated values, because the separator character does not have to be a comma) file stores tabular data (numbers and text) in plain-text form.

In Europe most countries use comma as the decimal separator, so the caracter mostly used to separate values is semicolon (;).

If you have problems, try switching in System Preferences > Language and text > Formats and then restart Numbers so it uses the new preferences.

The latest version of Numbers, doesn't even allow you to drag/drop .CSV files, on an open spreadsheet (tested with a .CSV which was tab delimited).

I'm a sell-out for all things Apple. However, when I have to do conversion, especially with large .CSV files, I'll use LibreOffice's Spreadsheet, instead of Numbers. It works better. I can simply choose to change the type of delimiter used and I can do that, on the fly, to see a preview, of how the document will be imported. This is way more user-friendly and saves way more time.

http://www.libreoffice.org

akademisalpeter wrote:

Taken from wikipedia:

A comma-separated values (CSV) (also sometimes called character-separated values,...

Aka,

There was a time when, in my experience, there were two popular formats in the U.S., Tab Separated Values (TSV) and Comma Separated Values (CSV). Wikipedia is taking a broader view, and that's fine, but some of us can't shake what we grew up with.

These two varients have been treated differently in Numbers, but how they are treated has never been very well described in the documentation. It does appear that the behavior is different in Version 3.0. Different, but not gone.

Jerry

Honestly I don't understand why such a simple function that is working very well with OpenOffice or Microsoft Office cannot be implemented in Numbers. Most banks in Europe do either offer a Quicken (QIF) or a CSV export format (with semicolumn in lots of cases).

Now using OpenOffice...

Hi Alain,

CSV import is already easily done with Numbers, using an AppleScript. See this thread , where you can download the script and/or Automator Service that incorporates the script so it shows up in your menu. If you need to use semcolon as a separator, just substitute {separator: ";"} for {} on the line indicated.

If you need OFX or QFX let me know and I'll post script.

SG

Hi,

Thanks a lot for the hint. Indeed using AppleScript makes everything possible. Bought the books, but haven't started with it. Certainly a good opportunites.

Appreciated.

Alain

Unbelievable that something so basic is not supported by Numbers, I´m shocked. 😮

Hi All,

If you are downloading a statement from your online account, you can download it in an excel format. When you "Open In Numbers," it converts the sheet to a numbers format. Iwork reads the Office formats so they can work together on different platforms. I have found this the easiest way to import data.

The release notes to Numbers 3.2 (just out yesterday) describe improvements to CSV import:

• Drag and drop a CSV file directly into a sheet
• Automatically update an existing table by dragging in a CSV file

Haven't had a chance to test the improvements. But between that (and, if necessary, easy-to-use AppleScripts) Numbers users need not fear they cannot easily get CSV data into their documents.

SG

Tested and doesn't work. While it was working on previous Number version

A shame to Mac (again)

If Steve was still there those kind of lazyness from devs wouldn't have happened

I have to send my csv to a friend who has a Windows and then he has to send me back to me the xls file

What a shame

This is decreasing of quality guys, since 1988 I am with Mac and very disappointed every upgrade is done