How to Convert Data Delimited Files to Excel & Word
A data delimited file is a document where the information in the file is separated into individual fields by a specific character. The most common character separators in a delimited data file are commas and tabs. A comma delimited file is sometimes referred to as a CSV file (comma separated value). Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word are both capable of reading data delimited files in text, CSV and HTML format.
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Things You'll Need
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Data delimited file in text, CSV or HTML format
Instructions
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With Excel
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1
Open Excel to a new blank workbook.
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Click the "Import" button on the tool bar. Or open the "File" menu and select "Import."
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3
Choose the type of delimited data file you wish to import and click "Import."
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4
Select the file to import in the "Choose a File" dialog box and click "Get Data."
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Check the appearance of the incoming data in the import wizard window that opens. The wizard gives you a preview of how the data will be brought into Excel. Click the "Next" button to step through the wizard. Click "Finish" when you are ready to complete the import.
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Click the cell you want the data to start filling in from when prompted with the "Returning External Data" dialog box and click "OK."
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Click the "File" menu and choose "Save" to save the imported data as an Excel workbook file.
With Word
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8
Open Word to a new blank document.
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Click the "Insert" menu, then the command "File" (or "Text from File" in Word 2007) and locate the CSV file in the Choose a File dialog box. The Insert File command is needed to import a data delimited file saved in CSV format.
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Select the imported data and click the "Table" menu. Then click "Convert" and "Convert Text to Table" if you want this data placed in columns and rows in Word.
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Click the "Open" button on the Word toolbar or click the File menu then Open to open data delimited files saved as text or HTML. They will open the same way a Word document does.
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Tips & Warnings
Excel can import data directly from FileMaker Pro databases, but you must have FileMaker Pro installed on the computer as well as Excel. To save an Excel file in CSV format to import into Word, go the File menu and select Save As, then CSV (comma separated value) as the save as file type.
