How to Convert an XLS File Into a CSV File
The comma-separated values (CSV) file format is a text file that uses commas to separate fields, whereas Excel’s .XLS files use columns to separate them. Each line in the CSV file corresponds to a row in Excel. Because of its simplicity and long history, CSV is useful for its wide portability between database applications and languages. CSV is what is called a “legacy” format. Along with other data formats, it has been superseded by XML.
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Instructions
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Open the .XLS file in Excel.
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Remove any hard returns within cells in the Excel file. They can be interpreted as a delimiter by the application reading the CSV conversion.
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Click "File" > "Save As…"
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Change “Save as type” or “Format” to “CSV (Comma delimited).”
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Enter a name for the CSV file and click “Save.”
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Verify the conversion by opening the file in a text editor like Notepad or TextEdit. Verify there are no extra commas other than between fields, i.e., that any commas within a field appear within double-quotes. Verify that fields with double-quotes in Excel have another set of double-quotes around them in CSV to maintain the original double-quotes. Make sure fields with leading or trailing spaces in Excel are bracketed in double quotes in CSV.
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References
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