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JGodfrey
Newbie
Joined: 10 Dec 2009
Posts: 1
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 Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 1:44 am Post subject: "Text Import" (CSV) Box |
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Is there something I can do to get rid of the annoying Text Import box when opening a CSV file?
It doesn't have a Task Bar entry on Windows and appears within an instance of an already opened Calc. Thus when you have half a dozen or more Calc windows open you have to constantly tab between them to find the darn thing (assuming it hasn't disappeared on to the other monitor).
It also doesn't gain focus when opening a CSV so if I open one from for example an e-mail client the box might popup behind the main window when no other Calc instances are running.
Plus, why does a CSV require such a box -- CSV is a comma-separated-values file, why am I being asked if I want to use commas to split the file? The answer is in the name...
Sorry if this sounds a little ungrateful. I know OO is free and almost as good as Office 95, I just work with CSVs every day and eventually this box starts to drive you insane. It must have wasted up to an hour or more of time this year alone, just this box... |
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Villeroy
Super User
Joined: 04 Oct 2004
Posts: 10065
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 6:38 am Post subject: |
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Simply write a configuration how to open specific types of text tables in a distinct directory and link the resulting tables to Calc import ranges. Such a configuration file is called "database document (*.odb)". Data from this configuration import well in all types of office documents without specifying any details.
File>New>Database...
Connect to existing database...
Type: Text
Specify all the delimiters for columns, decimals and thousands, the encoding and the file name suffix (*.csv) and a directory where you drop all the similar files.
With this setup you simply pull the resulting tables (or even virtual tables from queries) from the beamer window into a preformatted Calc template.
[Tutorial] Using registered datasources in Calc
[Example] Loading CSV into preformatted spreadsheets
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tallgirl
Newbie
Joined: 28 Dec 2009
Posts: 1
Location: Austin, TX
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| Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 10:43 am Post subject: |
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| Villeroy wrote: | | Simply write a configuration how to open specific types of text tables in a distinct directory and link the resulting tables to Calc import ranges. Such a configuration file is called "database document (*.odb)". Data from this configuration import well in all types of office documents without specifying any details. |
That's not the question, as I read it, that's being asked and it's also not an acceptable solution.
The problem is that many of us out here are using CSV files for creating spread sheets. Then we want to launch a spread sheet program to view them. OO Calc insists on throwing up a text import dialog box to import data who's structure should already be well-understood -- it's a COMMA SEPARATED VALUE file.
I've read through 5 years of your responses on this subject. Someone needs to add a command line option or something so that everyone, even if they haven't done what you keep telling people to do, can just open the file without the dialog. |
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Villeroy
Super User
Joined: 04 Oct 2004
Posts: 10065
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 12:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | The problem is that many of us out here are using CSV files for creating spread sheets. Then we want to launch a spread sheet program to view them. OO Calc insists on throwing up a text import dialog box to import data who's structure should already be well-understood -- it's a COMMA SEPARATED VALUE file. |
And what is wrong with my solution?
It's a char separated value file. csv is not a file format. It's mere convention. Most locales use comma as decimal separator for the spreadsheet. In Base you can specify all this *before* you import the tables in office documents (spreadsheets or whatever).
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kmulheren
Newbie
Joined: 25 Jan 2010
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 8:40 am Post subject: |
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I am a novice user looking for a replacement for MicroSucks Excel and would desperately like to have CSV files open automatically, without going through the import dialog. "CSV" means "comma-separated values". They can be opened without the need for the import dialog. I open tens, if not hundreds, of CSV files in a work day. Like the other poster, the import dialog is not popped to the foreground. I originally thought the program was hung and ten minutes later stumbled on the dialog.
I appreciate that there is some "configuration" programming feature, or some such, that I can use to program this. But as a novice user with lots of real work to do, I don't have to time to dig through the tutorials.
Yes, many locales use comma as a decimal separator. But I'm not in such a locale (as I suspect a large number of users are not). I would assume in such locales that a file extension of CSV would not be used.
Please help us out.
Thanks and best regards! |
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Villeroy
Super User
Joined: 04 Oct 2004
Posts: 10065
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 12:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | "CSV" means "comma-separated values". They can be opened without the need for the import dialog. |
There are hundreds of common text table variants.
http://www.creativyst.com/Doc/Articles/CSV/CSV01.htm
It is not a file format. It is mere convention. Many text tables do not use comma as separator. Many strings contain commas, so you need to quote text.
However csv is encoded, it is supposed to be a database exchange format in plain text
Spreadsheets are no databases.
Spreadsheets are no text editors.
Therefore all spreadsheets suck with csv, mostly because today's spreadsheet users have absolutely no clue about the software they are using.
This is a specialized text editor for text tables: http://csved.sjfrancke.nl/
I outlined several ways how to use Base with text tables and how to use Calc with Base (or Writer with Base or even Impress with Base).
[Tutorial] Using registered datasources in Calc
[Example] Loading CSV into preformatted spreadsheets
The database component is the central place to configure access to tabular data. Text, dBase, spreadsheets, address books from mail clients and all kinds of database servers.
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