.csv files not imported correctly with Numbers

I use Numbers version 3.6.2 on my Imac 27 running with El Capitan version 10.11.6.

When I open .csv files from Numbers, they do not import properly (semi-columns not recognised as colum separators, so that several data are in the same cell, but blanks seem to cause column separation), although the separation is properly done with Excel (and on my iPad).

I cannot find the settings in Numbers where I could adjust those separation parameters (like it is feasible in Excel).

I played with the Edit > Substitutions ... changing some ticks (multiple combinations, which I do not understand ..., but it did not work).

Therefore I am to import first in Excel and import the Excel file in Numbers ...

I can see from the discussion on the matter that it is a long story, apparently not solved yet by Apple. Am I wrong ? Have I missed something ?

Thanks to enlighten me

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014), OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)

Posted on Nov 6, 2016 9:12 AM

17 replies

Barry

Level 9

60,035 points

Nov 9, 2016 11:36 AM in response to SGIII

Hi SG,

Misses the point, so to speak.

As a text file, the decimal numbers in the CSV being opened by the OP used commas as the decimal separator.

When imported into Numbers, the data was split at the decimal separator (a comma). Inserting a period into 40 to make 4.0 won't test that behaviour unless there's a possibility there are CSV versions that use the period as the data separator.

Redundant, in this case, though, as the OP's Mac is now behaving as expected.

Barry

SGIII

Level 8

37,574 points

Nov 9, 2016 11:54 AM in response to Barry

When changing each 40 to 4,0 ...

Here is result when Region is set to United States (with . as decimal separator).

And when Region is set to France (with , as decimal separator).

This is as I would expect. 4,0 is recognized as Text (left-justified) when . is decimal separator and as Number (right-justified) when , is decimal separator. In both cases the data imports into the correct columns.

(When changing regions one has to quit Numbers and launch it again for the new Region setting to take effect.)

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.csv files not imported correctly with Numbers