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Why no "Import from CSV" wizard?

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 1:50 am
by allenf972
Hello,

I need to build a desktop database app that must allow users to periodically import some data from CSV files. In an attempt to get rid of MS Access, I thought I'd give OO another try.

Is there any sane reason that, after several years of further development, OpenOffice Base still has no obvious way to import/export CSV data?

The lack of such a basic requirement is so bizarre as to be unfathomable.

Although it's totally unusable for our workflow, out of curiosity, I did try the Calc cut-and-paste kludge. It froze me machine. (Too many fields, too many rows.)

P.S. Again, out of curiosity, are there any CSV import tricks I should know about?

Re: Why no "Import from CSV" wizard?

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 12:33 pm
by jwr
allenf972 wrote: P.S. Again, out of curiosity, are there any CSV import tricks I should know about?
One of these marvellous tricks is opening a CALC-sheet and filling the table with sheet-data
by a simple drag/drop of csv-files at the very upper banner of the tool.

If you drag /drop a csv-file this way at an OOo 2.3-application you will be asked once for relevant formatting data. In German csv-files you will normally have to select the semicolon as a separator.
The next drag /droppings of csv-files to new documents will automatically be processed with the previously entered formatting-settings.

If you do this drag /droppings of csv-files to an Excel-tool you will not be asked for a separator and the sheet will automatically be filled with correct data.

This trick is hardly known to any user, but I think this drag/dropping-functionality is excellent.

Regards -Hans-