How to Edit CSV File Format on a Mac
While the comma-separated values (CSV) extension may be unfamiliar to many, it is simply a format for data storage, like a spreadsheet. And like any spreadsheet, it can be edited from Microsoft Excel or any number of applications. Whether your CSV file contains financial records, a calendar, or anything else, choosing the right program is the key to simple editing.
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Things You'll Need
- Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice, or a variety of other programs listed in Tips.
Instructions
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Double-click your CSV file. You may already have a CSV-compatible application on your Mac and not even realize it. See what program the file opens with, if any, and if you can edit it from that program. The solution could be that simple.
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If you do not discover a compatible program, hold down the control key and click the file. In the menu that pops up scroll to "Open With" and see which applications appear, if any. If you have Microsoft Excel on your computer, choose that. You will be able to edit your CSV file from the main screen like you would a regular spreadsheet.
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Download and install the free software, OpenOffice, from the link in Resources if you discover you do not have a working application. This free data-processing package contains alternatives to the Microsoft Office suite, including spreadsheet editor CALC.
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Double-click on CALC and select "Open" from the "File" menu. Find your CSV file and click "OK."
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A "Text Import" dialogue will appear, allowing you to preview what your data will look like. Make adjustments accordingly. Under "Separated By:" ensure that "Comma" is selected. Click "OK."
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Save your data at any point and choose "comma-separated values (CSV)" as the file format.
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Tips & Warnings
Many other free applications exist for Mac users as well, like Databrid and CVSTrac. Find links to these under Resources.
When you save your data, a warning may pop up saying you will lose the formatting changes you made. This is nothing to worry about. As the name implies, CSV files sort data using commas, not as a spreadsheet, so any formatting changes you made while viewing the file as a spreadsheet, will not transfer. The edited data, however, will.
