XL: Procedure to Export Text File with Comma AND Quote Delimiter

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 5.0
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SUMMARY

Microsoft Excel does not have a menu command to automatically export data to a text file so that the text file is exported with both quotation marks and commas as delimiters. For example, there is no command to automatically create a text file that contains the following:

   "Text1","Text2","Text3"

MORE INFORMATION

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Before working with the example below, perform the following steps:

1. Open a new workbook.

2. Insert a new module sheet. In Excel 97 and Excel 98, on the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Visual Basic Editor. In the Editor, on the Insert menu, click Module. In Microsoft Excel versions 5.0 and 7.0, on the Insert menu, point to Macro, and click Module.

3. Type the example macro code into the module sheet:

         Sub QuoteCommaExport()
            ' Dimension all variables.
            Dim DestFile As String
            Dim FileNum As Integer
            Dim ColumnCount As Integer
            Dim RowCount As Integer
   
            ' Prompt user for destination file name.
            DestFile = InputBox("Enter the destination filename" _
               & Chr(10) & "(with complete path):", "Quote-Comma Exporter")
   
            ' Obtain next free file handle number.
            FileNum = FreeFile()
   
            ' Turn error checking off.
            On Error Resume Next
   
            ' Attempt to open destination file for output.
            Open DestFile For Output As #FileNum
   
            ' If an error occurs report it and end.
            If Err <> 0 Then
               MsgBox "Cannot open filename " & DestFile
               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
         End Sub
   
   

4. Before running the macro, select the data you want to export then run the QuoteCommaExport subroutine.

   ARTICLE-ID: Q103985
   TITLE     : XL4: Macro to Export Text File with Comma AND Quote
               Delimiters