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

rene beekman

Level 2

285 points

Posted on Jun 28, 2012 12:51 AM

I had this same problem and was climbing the walls with Numbers being unable to correctly open a CVS, but it turns out there is a much better way to do this;

1. Open a new spreadsheet in Numbers

2. Drag & drop the CVS you want to import onto the spreadsheet

Numbers will now correctly import the CVS, generate additional columns, etc.

See also this help document http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Numbers/2.0/en/lso101b05d9.html

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

37,960 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

37,960 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.

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How do I import csv into numbers?