Open Excel; Click 'File' and then 'Open”; In the 'Look in' box, locate the drive. For Mac Users. (The program defaults to Rich Text Format (rtf), which will not work for this process.). Then double-click the.uu file; it should convert to text, leaving you with a file named simply 'OASISReport' (using the above example). Mar 19, 2018 - Convert old Excel workbook 97-2004, xls to newer Excel workbook version xlsx. Browse to Files in the 97-2004 Format (xls) and choose.
Learning has never been so easy!
Brief overview and best practices on how to take an Excel (.xlsx) file and convert it into a comma delimited values (CSV or .csv) file. This is useful if you're trying to upload files to a database or other systems that do not support .xlsx or other files. You can simply convert them to .csv so the system can ingest them in a compatible format.
This tutorial will cover how-to execute this and some basic best practices.
Though this is pretty basic IT knowledge, it can be used as a useful How-To for beginners and/or used as a living document you can refer people to. Lastly, even though it's basic file conversion, there's some tips on what to watch out for when converting from Excel to CSV.
4 Steps total
Step 1: Start with a Saved or Working Excel File
So we can work from the same file at the outset and control for potential outliers/corruptions, I'm uploading this .xlsx file. It contains my top 10 most misused or non-existent words that one should ever fall victim to.
It's only ten rows across two columns so it's not a lot of data. You don't have to use this if you don't want to, but if you want a test file, this one will work just fine.
Regardless, the steps below will work for any standard Excel doc.
b6a4e7c8c5ab20d4b925e5606a9f4309136882dcd9b6f3bfe03bf285b497c8cc_example_file_to_convert.xlsx
Step 2: Click 'File' on the Ribbon
Once you have the file above (or other Excel file) open, go to the 'File' tab on the uppermost ribbon. Unless configured otherwise it is usually in the upper lefthand corner of an open Excel document.
Once you have the dropdown menu open after hovering over 'File', click 'Save As' from the tab's dropdown menu. A pop-up menu will appear once you have done so. The attached image is a version of what this would look like on a Mac. PC's will be very similar.
Step 3: Save the Excel (.xlsx) File into a CSV (.csv)
In the form of a 'File Format' option the menu will ask you what type of file you want to save your current .xlsx into. The full list of conversion options will vary by the type of operating system you have, but there's a few common types that are pretty consistent across the board.
The highlighted option in the attached image is the most general of .csv file options. Others (e.g. MS-DOS) are more specific in their use-case. Unless you have a known reason for picking another variety, it is advised to pick the .csv option that has no explicit verbiage in the naming convention as shown in the image.
Author's Note:
You'll notice that the photo shows me saving this to my applications file. This is not an advisable location for storing files of this type. I am only doing this so that I'm not showing you other files. Choose the file location that makes the most sense for your use-case.
You'll notice that the photo shows me saving this to my applications file. This is not an advisable location for storing files of this type. I am only doing this so that I'm not showing you other files. Choose the file location that makes the most sense for your use-case.
Step 4: Best Practices and Notes
Once you've selected your file type and location you are technically done because your file has been converted, but there's a few 'gotchas' to consider when making conversions.
1) .csv does not support multiple tabs like .xslx does (basic conversion consideration)
If you have an Excel file with multiple tabs, you'll need to convert each tab to it's own .xlsx file and convert each to a .csv separately. Typically, you'll get a warning of potential data loss if you're using the 'Save As' wizard, but the error message is not always explicit as to what you're going to lose.
2) The default file opener for .csv files in most systems is Excel (slightly more advanced consideration)
This is because Excel is smart enough to break files into rows and columns better than most (if not all user-friendly) programs. However, it is not the only way these types of files can be opened. In fact, if you're having trouble importing a .csv into a database, I would advise that you open it up in your favorite text editor instead. That way, you can see what the root cause of a potential error is because Excel will often mask these errors making it look like nothing is wrong because it is smart enough to correct these errors behind the covers.
The image attached to this step shows the example file in .csv format. Wherever you put the file you converted in previous steps, right click it, go to 'Open With', and you'll see your default program as well as a list of other options. If you open the file with a text editor (e.g. Notepad, Notepad++, TextEdit, Sublime, Atom, etc....), you'll be able to view the file as the 'computer sees it'. This will help you navigate upload errors in a database.
3) File header best practice (advanced consideration)
In the file in step one, you'll notice that the second column, column B, has spaces in its header. This is not advised if you want to upload a .csv file into another system and carry the headers over. This is because it can cause two potential problems in a database:
a) If it uploads with a header, you will have to wrap what is now your column name in double quotes every time you call it in a query. It's not an impediment to uploading all the time, but it can be really annoying if you have to write it that way over and over again. Also, it will prevent auto-complete if your database program supports it.
b) It could cause an upload error in some systems because they're trying to prevent the troubles in 'a' above, and it could prevent you from uploading the file entirely if you do not remove or fix the header.
To prevent this, simply snake_case or CamelCase the header so there are no spaces in its name.
Whew!
I know that is a lot of text for a seemingly simple exercise, but I cannot tell you how many times I've either had to (a) teach someone how to simply convert a file to a CSV, or (b) had issues uploading a file into a database due to elementary issues.
There's a lot more to this including, non UTF-8 supported characters, data types, casting, fixing .csv upload errors through vim or bash editing.... All topics for another time. For now, that's a wrap.
Hope you found this helpful!
Published: Jun 15, 2018 · Last Updated: Jun 19, 2018
18 Comments
- TabascoMichaelT@ToE Jun 22, 2018 at 05:32pmSurprising how many end users literally need hand holding over the simplest things.
- Geoff B (Spiceworks) Jul 12, 2018 at 03:26pmOne note I would like to add, if you're building an application that uploads a .csv, and a .csv only, this conversion won't matter on a Windows machine because of how that OS handles file conversions. In short, Windows handles MIME types in ways that make uploading .csv files difficult because you cannot truly convert them out of .xlsx.Explanation of the problem in a GitHub project:
https://github.com/mholt/PapaParse/issues/18The tools are starting to get better and handling file types more expertly
Example application with file_type selection for better handling of variance:
http://oss.sheetjs.com/js-xlsx/ - MaceMike400 Jul 18, 2018 at 01:39pmEven after doing this I've run into systems that won't support the generated CSV file. Excel is very, very smart when it comes to CSV files, supporting line breaks and other special characters in the various fields. Most CSV file importers will fail on these.
- Serranogoodbadbugs Jul 18, 2018 at 01:51pmGreat post. Also for those admins that for some reason need a CSV converted to Excel I highly recommend PSExcel.https://github.com/RamblingCookieMonster/PSExcel
- Cayennethemacguy Jul 18, 2018 at 02:13pmJust think back of how hard all this was 10 years ago.
- JalapenoDevon1987 Jul 18, 2018 at 02:37pmCouldn't you also use PowerShell with a 'ConvertTo-Csv' cmdlet? I would think for a batch job that could be a better option.
- Geoff B (Spiceworks) Jul 18, 2018 at 02:41pm@Devon1987For sure you could! For batching, this would most definitely be a better option. Also, If you're using a *nix machine, you could just use a Perl command to change all the file names with any given string.Not really a tutorial for that, and more of the elementary variety, but you're 100% right.
- CayenneBerto007 Jul 18, 2018 at 02:52pmGood post. I've had to look up how to convert to csv a few times as I don't often have to convert files. It's funny how many times I run in to errors and their never the same error.
- ChipotleJianderson Jul 18, 2018 at 03:39pmI appreciate articles like these -- even simple workflows should have solid documentation, and this definitely qualifies. Nice write up.
- Chipotlefuricle Jul 18, 2018 at 03:46pmProblem is, csv isn't a standard.Excel has certain default behaviour that many people consider to be a standard, but it aint....
- Cayennecnicholsontech Jul 18, 2018 at 05:06pmFuricle:
There no official CSV standard, but there are common ways that CSV handle escaped fields. It's generally accepted that if you have a field with commas in it, the field can be enclosed by double quotes. That's how excel handles it, and that's how most databases handle it (sometimes it has to be enabled. For example, doing a MySQL import infile command, you can specify a clauseOPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY ''(that's a single quote, a double quote, and a single quote, meaning you can enclose fields in double quotes. And there are further ways to escape double quotes that are generally considered as best practices, if not an outright standard. It's only *not* a standard because it basically pre-dates everyone trying to patent their garbage formats and seek licensing fees. - Datiltroberts2 Jul 18, 2018 at 07:29pmAnyone skipped using the application and just coded for batching up a folder of files using Powershell to convert them?? TechNet had this doozy listed out there ... just swap out location as needed.$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'Function Convert-CsvInBatch
{
[CmdletBinding()]
Param
(
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)][String]$Folder
)
$ExcelFiles = Get-ChildItem -Path $Folder -Filter *.xlsx -Recurse$excelApp = New-Object -ComObject Excel.Application
$excelApp.DisplayAlerts = $false$ExcelFiles | ForEach-Object {
$workbook = $excelApp.Workbooks.Open($_.FullName)
$csvFilePath = $_.FullName -replace '.xlsx$', '.csv'
$workbook.SaveAs($csvFilePath, [Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.XlFileFormat]::xlCSV)
$workbook.Close()
}# Release Excel Com Object resource
$excelApp.Workbooks.Close()
$excelApp.Visible = $true
Start-Sleep 5
$excelApp.Quit()
[System.Runtime.Interopservices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($excelApp) | Out-Null
}#
# 0. Prepare the folder path which contains all excel files
$FolderPath = 'D:varprojectsOCOSvarexcelchange'Convert-CsvInBatch -Folder $FolderPathThere's another article out there in a similar site with alternate code as well ..... https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/3223/extract-and-convert-all-excel-worksheets-into-csv-files-using-powershell/ - ChipotleEliteCommander Jul 19, 2018 at 09:04amI once (back in the 90's) had to manipulate a 'database' file containing every model of car in existence, at least every one that the company, an insurance broker, would cover. I think it was 35-50k lines of data. The original file came from a mainframe and was in a kind of loosely organised csv-style format and they needed it in Excel since that's what the office was using. Every time I changed something and did a sort on the table, I'd start it running and then go to lunch, getting back about 1 hour later to find it had either just completed or was near to finishing. I'm glad we have better tools and processors these days. Thanks for the tips, I have had to teach this on many occasions, but still learned a little about importing csvs into other applications.
- JalapenoDale2538 Jul 20, 2018 at 01:51amSub QuoteCommaExport()
' Dimension all variables.
Dim FileNum As Integer
Dim ColumnCount As Integer
Dim RowCount As IntegerDim sFNameIf Selection.Rows.Count = 1 Then
MsgBox 'Select rows to export'
Exit Sub
End If
' Force File Type during Save
sFName = Application.GetSaveAsFilename(ActiveWorkbook.Path & 'textfile.csv', 'CSVfiles (*.csv), *.csv')If sFName = False Then
MsgBox 'cancelled'
Exit Sub
End If
' Obtain next free file handle number.
FileNum = FreeFile()' Turn error checking off.
On Error Resume Next' Attempt to open destination file for output.
Open sFName For Output As #FileNum' If an error occurs report it and end.
If Err <> 0 Then
MsgBox 'Cannot open filename ' & sFName
End
End If' Turn error checking on.
On Error GoTo 0' Loop for each row in selection.
For RowCount = 1 To Selection.Rows.Count' Loop for each column in selection.
For ColumnCount = 1 To Selection.Columns.Count' Write current cell's text to file with quotation marks.
Print #FileNum, '' & Selection.Cells(RowCount, _
ColumnCount).Text & '';' Check if cell is in last column.
If ColumnCount = Selection.Columns.Count Then
' If so, then write a blank line.
Print #FileNum,
Else
' Otherwise, write a comma.
Print #FileNum, ',';
End If
' Start next iteration of ColumnCount loop.
Next ColumnCount
' Start next iteration of RowCount loop.
Next RowCount' Close destination file.
Close #FileNum
MsgBox 'Exported ' & RowCount
End Sub - DatilBill2718 Jul 20, 2018 at 06:11pmThere may not be an official standard from a standards body like ISO, but there IS a de facto standard, it's pretty well documented here.https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4180Line breaks are the biggest problem.
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'What is the best PDF to Excel converter for me to convert PDF to Excel for better editing?'
When consider converting PDF to Excel, what we are concern about is excel formatting and the data security after the conversion. So you need to get help from a reliable PDF to Excel conversion tool. Online PDF to Excel converter or PDF to Excel convert free programs should not be considered for they cannot promise these issues. Luckily, here are the 2 best ways for you to convert PDF to Excel on Mac safely and freely, so that you can edit and reuse the converted file with ease.
When consider converting PDF to Excel, what we are concern about is excel formatting and the data security after the conversion. So you need to get help from a reliable PDF to Excel conversion tool. Online PDF to Excel converter or PDF to Excel convert free programs should not be considered for they cannot promise these issues. Luckily, here are the 2 best ways for you to convert PDF to Excel on Mac safely and freely, so that you can edit and reuse the converted file with ease.
Method 1. The Easiest and Most Secure Way to Convert PDF to Excel
If you want to convert PDF to Excel on Mac in high quality, you are best advised to use PDFelement Pro . This PDF to Excel converter comes packed with some of the best features. Besides PDF conversion feature, you can freely edit texts, images and pages in your PDF, annotate and watermark PDF, add signature and stamps as well.
Steps to Convert PDF to Excel on macOS 10.13 High Sierra
How to start the PDF to Excel conversion? The following guide will explain you the steps for converting PDF into Excel on Mac (macOS Sierra compatible). You can also learn how to convert PDF to Word and other formats. For Windows users, you can download PDFelement Pro to convert PDF to Excel on Windows PC.
Step 1. Import PDF to PDFelement Pro for Mac
After successful installation, you then need to run the program PDFelement pro on your computer. Hit the 'Convert PDF' tab from the main menu. Then drag and drop your PDF files to the pop-up window.Alternatively, you can also click the 'Add Files' button to import multiple PDFs for conversion.
Step 2. Convert a PDF File to Excel
After your PDF documents have been imported, you can then open 'Convert' menu. Choose 'To Excel' from the list. Finally customize the page range and click 'Convert' to start the conversion process.
Step 3. Convert Scanned PDF to Excel
If your document are scanned PDF, you can enable the OCR function to process the conversion. To do so, just turn on the OCR function on the right siede of the interface after you importing the PDF, and then move on to convert the image-based PDF to Excel.
Step 4. Edit PDF before Converting (Optional)
If you want to insert, delete or modify the texts and images in your PDF you can click the 'Edit' button and then start editing on your document. If you want to add, delete some pages, crop or replace a particular page, you can navigate to the right side 'Pages' menu and choose options under it.
To highlight texts, draw markup or add sticky note/comment box to PDF, you can clcik the 'Comment' button on the top toolbar and select the option you need. You can also add e-signature or hyperlink to PDF.
Why choose PDFelement Pro to Convert PDF to Excel
PDFelement Pro is an easy to use PDF to Excel converter for mac. Except converting PDF to Excel, you can also use this PDF tool to edit PDF texts, pages, links and other elements easily. With the built-in advanced OCR feature you can also easily convert and edit scanned PDF files.
Key Features:
- You can safely convert PDF to Excel, Word, PPT, EPUB, and other formats.
- You can add multiple PDF files to convert at one time.
- The output file will be kept in original formatting.
- It allows you to edit PDF texts, images, pages, and other elements easily.
- You can also fully control PDF with combine, split, merge and compress features.
- With OCR function, edit and convert scanned PDF will be no longer a problem.
- The PDF sharing options allow you to share your PDF file instantly.
Method 2. Convert PDF from Excel on Mac Using iSkysoft PDF Converter
For a better PDF to Excel conversion on Mac, you can also use iSkysoft PDF Converter for Mac. It can act as a professional PDF to Excel Converter for Mac.
It supports to directly convert PDF to XLS or Excel and other Microsoft Office formats like Word, PowerPoint, and more. In the process of converting PDF document to Excel format, this Mac PDF to Excel converter retains the original tables. This will save big time if you have lots of tables in the PDF document. Most of all, the PDF Converter Pro version supports converting scanned PDF files to Excel format with its powerful OCR technology. If you are using a Windows, just choose iSkysoft PDF Converter for Windows.
Steps to Change PDF to Excel on Mac OS X
Step 1. Import PDF Files to the PDF to Excel Program
After installed the program, open it and import the PDF files. You can drag and drop one or multiple PDF files to the interface of the program. All imported PDF files will be displayed in the item tray.
Step 2. Choose Excel Workbook (.xlsx) as the Output Format
Now click the options at the bootom of the interface to choose the output format. In the Format dropdown list, choose 'Excel Workbook (.xlsx)' format to confirm the output format settings. If your PDF files are scanned PDF files, you have to turn on the 'OCR' option at the bottom of the primary window.
Note: You can choose to convert specific pages use the 'Page Range' option.
Step 3. Start Converting PDF to Excel (.xlsx) on Mac (Sierra)
Simply click the 'Start' button to start the PDF to Excel conversion. When finished, click the format icon on the right of each PDF item to open the converted file.
Tips: If you're using Apple's Numbers application, you can convert PDF to Numbers compatible format (.xlsx) using the same method, and open the converted files with Numbers.
Method 3. How to Convert PDF to Excel on Mac via Adobe Acrobat DC
Adobe Acrobat DC is a PDF to Excel converter for Mac that preferred by many users to convert PDF to different formats, especially Excel, because it retains the original data and does not disturb the formatting. Adobe Acrobat DC can be used on your Mac to put its feature-laden toolkit to use to convert PDF to Excel easily. Follow the detailed step-by-step guide given below and learn how to convert PDF to Excel on Mac using Adobe Acrobat DC to retain the original formatting and data:
Step 1. Open the PDF File
Firstly, download and install Adobe Acrobat DC on your Mac and launch the program to import the PDF File to it by choosing it from various locations on your Mac.
Step 2. Export PDF Tool
Now choose “Export PDF” to select “Spreadsheet”>“.xlsx” or “.xml” and hit “Export”.
Note: You can choose to convert specific pages use the 'Page Range' option.
Step 3. Customise Settings
This step is not mandatory, but in case you want make some changes to the page settings, navigate to “Settings”> change the desired settings and hit “OK”.
Step 4. Save the File
Finally, specify a location to save the PDF to Excel converted File and hit “save”.
That's it. You PDF File will be converted to Excel Format and saved in the location of your choice on the Mac. Adobe Acrobat seems like an easy software to use to convert PDF to Excel and retain the originality of the document. However, there are some negatives associated with this product:
- First and foremost, Adobe Acrobat DC is not a free software and requires users to buy it from its official website against a charge or pay a monthly subscription to use it to convert PDF File to Excel.
- Adobe Acrobat DC homepage/main interface is very overwhelming and could confuse users who are simply looking to convert a PDF to Excel.
- Its feature to customise document settings is great, but redundant because it does not provide the flexibility to edit the PDF text.
- Users have also complained that where data is retained in its original form, original formatting is often lost during the conversion process.
Method 4. How to Convert PDF to Excel Mac Free Online
Moving on, given below are 5 free online PDF to Excel Converters which can be used to convert PDF to Excel on Mac for free. These tools not only do the said job effectively, but also retain original content and formatting.
1. Online2pdf
Online2pdf allows its users to convert PDF to Excel on Mac for free and to upload a PDF File and then convert it Excel, Word, RFT, PPT, images, etc for free on their Mac. It's simple to use and has all the instructions on its website.
2. Zamar
Zamar is a free online tool to convert PDF to Excel on Mac for free and has information on the Excel file extensions. Just choose a File, select the Excel format and hit “Convert”.
3. PDF to XLS
PDF to XLS is an online PDF to Excel converter that allows you to convert PDF to Excel on Mac within seconds. It also retains the original text and data formatting.
4. CONVERT PDF TO EXCEL
CONVERT PDF TO EXCEL is an free online PDF to Excel converter. It is extremely useful for businesses that require a boost in their productivity. It will help you to convert PDF documents to Excel instantly without losing its originality and data.
5. PDF Converter
PDF Converter allows you select and upload a PDF File online and then converts it to a high quality output format of your choice. With the help of this online tool, you can convert PDF to Excel online for free,
Posted by Ivan Cook to Mac Tutorials
Published: May 03,2017 15:58 pm / Updated: May 21,2019 17:37 pm
Published: May 03,2017 15:58 pm / Updated: May 21,2019 17:37 pm