XL: Column Delimiters Missing in Spreadsheet Saved as Text

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 3.0, 4.0, 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 3.0, 4.0, 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
• Microsoft Excel for OS/2, version 3.0
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, if you save a file in the text or the CSV (comma separated value) format, Microsoft Excel places tabs or commas between each column of the worksheet. However, certain text files may be saved with a different number of tabs or commas in 16-row blocks.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs only if the cells in the last column contain no information.

WORKAROUND

To ensure that Microsoft Excel saves tab or comma delimiters for all empty columns, verify that the last column in the file contains some data in at least every 16 rows throughout the file. If the blocks of rows do not contain data, add spaces or other characters in every 16 rows to the cells in the last column or reorder the columns in the worksheet so that the last column on the worksheet always contains information.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft Excel saves text files in 16-row blocks. Therefore, if all the cells in the last column in a 16-row block are empty, Microsoft Excel saves that area as if the column does not exist. No tabs or commas are saved for that 16-row block.

Additional query words: 3.0 null 15

Keywords : kbdta xlloadsave
Version : MACINTOSH:3.0,4.0,5.0; WINDOWS:3.0,4.0,5.0
Platform : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug