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csv export files contain weird characters ""

jschaffejschaffe Member ✭✭✭
So I'm trying to migrate from Q2007 to Q2018, and am currently exploring how to export reports from Q2018 for external analysis.  So far I can work around most of the limitations I've encountered (such as by clicking in the Accounts Summary display, typing cmd-A, cmd-C and pasting into Excel), but one nagging detail may present some issues.  On reports where I am permitted to export csv files (which I want to do for archiving purposes), the string "" (without the quotes) appears at the start of many of the rows when I open the csv file in Excel .  Here are two examples:

Investing Report Created: 2018-07-11 15:43:07 -0400

   Scheduled   Split   Date   Type   Security/Payee   Description   Amount   Account

Looking at the files in TextEdit, the characters do not seem to appear.

Is this a bug or is there something I can do about it?

Comments

  • John_in_NCJohn_in_NC SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2018
    The only way I could reproduce that header row was not directly from one of the canned reports, but exporting register transactions to CSV. Is that what you are doing?

    If so, I don't see any strange characters in Excel when I do that. Note: my system is all localized for the US with default locations. I don't know if your system is different and if that matters. 
  • jschaffejschaffe Member ✭✭✭
    edited August 2018
    This is WAY too inconvenient to have to do multiple times each week, which is my practice, but after some Google searches I found that instead of double clicking the csv file directly, I can:
    1. Start Excel 2011
    2. Go to File->Import
    3. Choose CSV (it's chosen for me by default),
    4. Click "Import"
    5. In the open file dialog, navigate to and open my csv file
    6. In the next step change the "File origin" dropdown to any of "Unicode 9.0",  "Unicode 9.0 UTF-7",  or  "Unicode 9.0(Little-Endian" ,  and the strange characters go away.
    7. Note:  "Unicode 9.0 UTF-8" changes the three special characters to two underscores
    As I said, this is way too inconvenient for day to day work with multiple export/imports, but it is a clue of sorts.  I wonder if there's a way that Excel can apply this setting whenever I double-click a csv file, or if that would mess things up if I opened csv's from other sources.

    John, I get these characters in two places:
    • When I click the share icon at the bottom of the Investing portfolio grouped by account and export to CSV. 
    • When I change the Investing display to Transactions, go to File->Export->Register transactions to CSV and choose "All visible transactions"
    I'd also like to export the Reports->Accounts summary page, but that's not offered either within the display or in the file->Export submenu.  I did find that I can select the entire report and do a copy paste, which while not totally convenient, at least lets me get the data into Excel.
  • RickORickO SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2018
    jschaffe said:

    This is WAY too inconvenient to have to do multiple times each week, which is my practice, but after some Google searches I found that instead of double clicking the csv file directly, I can:

    1. Start Excel 2011
    2. Go to File->Import
    3. Choose CSV (it's chosen for me by default),
    4. Click "Import"
    5. In the open file dialog, navigate to and open my csv file
    6. In the next step change the "File origin" dropdown to any of "Unicode 9.0",  "Unicode 9.0 UTF-7",  or  "Unicode 9.0(Little-Endian" ,  and the strange characters go away.
    7. Note:  "Unicode 9.0 UTF-8" changes the three special characters to two underscores
    As I said, this is way too inconvenient for day to day work with multiple export/imports, but it is a clue of sorts.  I wonder if there's a way that Excel can apply this setting whenever I double-click a csv file, or if that would mess things up if I opened csv's from other sources.

    John, I get these characters in two places:
    • When I click the share icon at the bottom of the Investing portfolio grouped by account and export to CSV. 
    • When I change the Investing display to Transactions, go to File->Export->Register transactions to CSV and choose "All visible transactions"
    I'd also like to export the Reports->Accounts summary page, but that's not offered either within the display or in the file->Export submenu.  I did find that I can select the entire report and do a copy paste, which while not totally convenient, at least lets me get the data into Excel.
    I cannot reproduce this either using either of the two CSV exports you list. However, I'm using the current version of Excel. I suspect your issue has to do with your rather old version of Excel. If I use the manual import procedure and select "Windows" as the file origin, I get the characters you see.

    I suggest you download Apple's Numbers:

    https://www.apple.com/numbers/

    and see if the problem exists with that.
    Quicken Mac Subscription; Quicken Mac user since the early 90s
  • jschaffejschaffe Member ✭✭✭
    edited July 2018
    jschaffe said:

    This is WAY too inconvenient to have to do multiple times each week, which is my practice, but after some Google searches I found that instead of double clicking the csv file directly, I can:

    1. Start Excel 2011
    2. Go to File->Import
    3. Choose CSV (it's chosen for me by default),
    4. Click "Import"
    5. In the open file dialog, navigate to and open my csv file
    6. In the next step change the "File origin" dropdown to any of "Unicode 9.0",  "Unicode 9.0 UTF-7",  or  "Unicode 9.0(Little-Endian" ,  and the strange characters go away.
    7. Note:  "Unicode 9.0 UTF-8" changes the three special characters to two underscores
    As I said, this is way too inconvenient for day to day work with multiple export/imports, but it is a clue of sorts.  I wonder if there's a way that Excel can apply this setting whenever I double-click a csv file, or if that would mess things up if I opened csv's from other sources.

    John, I get these characters in two places:
    • When I click the share icon at the bottom of the Investing portfolio grouped by account and export to CSV. 
    • When I change the Investing display to Transactions, go to File->Export->Register transactions to CSV and choose "All visible transactions"
    I'd also like to export the Reports->Accounts summary page, but that's not offered either within the display or in the file->Export submenu.  I did find that I can select the entire report and do a copy paste, which while not totally convenient, at least lets me get the data into Excel.
    Opening from Numbers' File menu seems to do the right thing.  I guess it's about time to get up with a newer Excel, but I heard that the macro support for the newest versions are lagging...oh well!
  • John_in_NCJohn_in_NC SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2018
    jschaffe said:

    This is WAY too inconvenient to have to do multiple times each week, which is my practice, but after some Google searches I found that instead of double clicking the csv file directly, I can:

    1. Start Excel 2011
    2. Go to File->Import
    3. Choose CSV (it's chosen for me by default),
    4. Click "Import"
    5. In the open file dialog, navigate to and open my csv file
    6. In the next step change the "File origin" dropdown to any of "Unicode 9.0",  "Unicode 9.0 UTF-7",  or  "Unicode 9.0(Little-Endian" ,  and the strange characters go away.
    7. Note:  "Unicode 9.0 UTF-8" changes the three special characters to two underscores
    As I said, this is way too inconvenient for day to day work with multiple export/imports, but it is a clue of sorts.  I wonder if there's a way that Excel can apply this setting whenever I double-click a csv file, or if that would mess things up if I opened csv's from other sources.

    John, I get these characters in two places:
    • When I click the share icon at the bottom of the Investing portfolio grouped by account and export to CSV. 
    • When I change the Investing display to Transactions, go to File->Export->Register transactions to CSV and choose "All visible transactions"
    I'd also like to export the Reports->Accounts summary page, but that's not offered either within the display or in the file->Export submenu.  I did find that I can select the entire report and do a copy paste, which while not totally convenient, at least lets me get the data into Excel.
    I am firing up my old Summer 2009 MBP to test 2011 to see if I can reproduce. . . 
  • John_in_NCJohn_in_NC SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2018
    jschaffe said:

    This is WAY too inconvenient to have to do multiple times each week, which is my practice, but after some Google searches I found that instead of double clicking the csv file directly, I can:

    1. Start Excel 2011
    2. Go to File->Import
    3. Choose CSV (it's chosen for me by default),
    4. Click "Import"
    5. In the open file dialog, navigate to and open my csv file
    6. In the next step change the "File origin" dropdown to any of "Unicode 9.0",  "Unicode 9.0 UTF-7",  or  "Unicode 9.0(Little-Endian" ,  and the strange characters go away.
    7. Note:  "Unicode 9.0 UTF-8" changes the three special characters to two underscores
    As I said, this is way too inconvenient for day to day work with multiple export/imports, but it is a clue of sorts.  I wonder if there's a way that Excel can apply this setting whenever I double-click a csv file, or if that would mess things up if I opened csv's from other sources.

    John, I get these characters in two places:
    • When I click the share icon at the bottom of the Investing portfolio grouped by account and export to CSV. 
    • When I change the Investing display to Transactions, go to File->Export->Register transactions to CSV and choose "All visible transactions"
    I'd also like to export the Reports->Accounts summary page, but that's not offered either within the display or in the file->Export submenu.  I did find that I can select the entire report and do a copy paste, which while not totally convenient, at least lets me get the data into Excel.
    I see what you are reporting in Excel 2011. Perhaps it is time to upgrade.
  • RickORickO SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2018
    jschaffe said:

    This is WAY too inconvenient to have to do multiple times each week, which is my practice, but after some Google searches I found that instead of double clicking the csv file directly, I can:

    1. Start Excel 2011
    2. Go to File->Import
    3. Choose CSV (it's chosen for me by default),
    4. Click "Import"
    5. In the open file dialog, navigate to and open my csv file
    6. In the next step change the "File origin" dropdown to any of "Unicode 9.0",  "Unicode 9.0 UTF-7",  or  "Unicode 9.0(Little-Endian" ,  and the strange characters go away.
    7. Note:  "Unicode 9.0 UTF-8" changes the three special characters to two underscores
    As I said, this is way too inconvenient for day to day work with multiple export/imports, but it is a clue of sorts.  I wonder if there's a way that Excel can apply this setting whenever I double-click a csv file, or if that would mess things up if I opened csv's from other sources.

    John, I get these characters in two places:
    • When I click the share icon at the bottom of the Investing portfolio grouped by account and export to CSV. 
    • When I change the Investing display to Transactions, go to File->Export->Register transactions to CSV and choose "All visible transactions"
    I'd also like to export the Reports->Accounts summary page, but that's not offered either within the display or in the file->Export submenu.  I did find that I can select the entire report and do a copy paste, which while not totally convenient, at least lets me get the data into Excel.
    Macros were removed from Word and Excel for Mac at some point; I don't remember exactly when. But they were restored maybe a year or two ago. I don't use them, so don't really pay much attention. For that reason, I can't vouch for the quality of the macro tools in the current version, but I can at least tell you that they are there.
    Quicken Mac Subscription; Quicken Mac user since the early 90s
  • jschaffejschaffe Member ✭✭✭
    edited July 2018
    jschaffe said:

    This is WAY too inconvenient to have to do multiple times each week, which is my practice, but after some Google searches I found that instead of double clicking the csv file directly, I can:

    1. Start Excel 2011
    2. Go to File->Import
    3. Choose CSV (it's chosen for me by default),
    4. Click "Import"
    5. In the open file dialog, navigate to and open my csv file
    6. In the next step change the "File origin" dropdown to any of "Unicode 9.0",  "Unicode 9.0 UTF-7",  or  "Unicode 9.0(Little-Endian" ,  and the strange characters go away.
    7. Note:  "Unicode 9.0 UTF-8" changes the three special characters to two underscores
    As I said, this is way too inconvenient for day to day work with multiple export/imports, but it is a clue of sorts.  I wonder if there's a way that Excel can apply this setting whenever I double-click a csv file, or if that would mess things up if I opened csv's from other sources.

    John, I get these characters in two places:
    • When I click the share icon at the bottom of the Investing portfolio grouped by account and export to CSV. 
    • When I change the Investing display to Transactions, go to File->Export->Register transactions to CSV and choose "All visible transactions"
    I'd also like to export the Reports->Accounts summary page, but that's not offered either within the display or in the file->Export submenu.  I did find that I can select the entire report and do a copy paste, which while not totally convenient, at least lets me get the data into Excel.
    Macros seemed ok in Office 2016, reading MacInTouch.com, people are reporting complaints in the newest (maybe beta?) versions.
This discussion has been closed.