How do I import csv into numbers?

I'm trying to import a text file that is comma delimited into the Numbers application. I expect that each comma in the file will trigger a new column. However, the rows (CR delimited) are pasted into a single column. Any advice on how to make Numbers parse by commas?

I want it to look like this:

1 2 3 4 5

A B C D E

With each character existing in a different column.

Instead what I get it this:

1,2,3,4,5

A,B,C,D,E

All records for a row are all pasted in one column

Any advice?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.7), iWork Numbers Application

Posted on May 7, 2011 11:37 AM

Top-ranking reply

Jerrold Green1

Level 7

30,274 points

Posted on Jun 29, 2012 8:51 AM

Rene,

CSV is a lousy data format, across country boundaries especially. Rather than worry over what Apple has or hasn't done about that, you could just drop your data into a text editor and use Find and Replace to convert to Tab Separated Variables, a more universal and much better behaved standard.

Jerry

View in context

58 replies

Mar 27, 2014 6:24 AM in response to garryfromversailles

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

Apr 14, 2014 1:24 PM in response to SGIII

Thank you very much. Yes, the Tabs on Clipboard Automator Service works perfectly.

May 20, 2014 4:30 PM in response to garryfromversailles

HI folks

Nothing of the above worked for me.

Though I found this conversion site:

https://cloudconvert.org/csv-to-xlsx

That convert csv into excel that can be open nicely with Numbers.

May 22, 2014 6:27 AM in response to SGIII

If you wish to share the structure of your data ...

Here is one of my csv file.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gc6mwpo90masgmi/csv46906.csv

Thank-you

Daniel

SGIII

Level 8

37,562 points

May 22, 2014 8:03 AM in response to Wayne Contello

Same here, i.e. nothing there. The techniques above work pretty well in a lot of situations. But they were not designed to handle phantom data.🙂

noyoda

Level 1

0 points

Jul 21, 2014 3:37 AM in response to garryfromversailles

Tab delimited .txt file just works fine for me.

SGIII

Level 8

37,562 points

Jul 21, 2014 1:14 PM in response to noyoda

This is a really old thread. Chances are the OP was using a different version of Numbers than the one you are using now.

Fedux

Level 1

5 points

Mar 29, 2015 4:18 AM in response to SGIII

Thank you very much. Your script is really well made and, on a Mac, the only cross-platform utility. You can paste the content in whatever your office suite is!

GREAT!

pjmarch

Level 1

0 points

Apr 22, 2015 9:14 AM in response to Jerrold Green1

Thanks 🙂

NowWhat!

Level 1

11 points

May 24, 2015 9:18 PM in response to SGIII

oops, sorry, double post here....not my fault, net had a hiccup

kenny128

Level 1

8 points

Dec 21, 2015 3:12 PM in response to rene beekman

I got a large CSV file, nearly 200MB. Can't open the normal way, until i found this, but take a bit time to import (5 mins) and >10mins to adjust the column width.

Anyway, thanks rene beekman.

Feb 19, 2016 7:09 AM in response to rene beekman

Thank you!!!!

lmayala

Level 1

4 points

Jun 19, 2017 8:02 AM in response to Barry

How??

Do you really think that "Drop it on the Numbers icon" is the same as "drop (...) onto the spreadsheet"

OMG.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

How do I import csv into numbers?