[Solved] LibreOffice - Data/Text to Columns not working

[pizzipie]

I am running Ubuntu 16.04 and using LibreOffice 5.4.3.2.

I downloaded my purchase details from one of the 'Box Stores'. The download was a .csv file. The format of the 'price' field is like $12.95.

These 'numbers' are, in fact, not numbers but text. Since there is no way, that I know of, to convert text to numbers in LibreOffice Calc I have used the Data/Text to Columns menu item successfully in the past to get real numbers.

For some reason this is not working now. I have been highlighting the column I wish to process including the field name. I have then gone to Data/Text to Columns and then picked OK without changing anything. Nothing happens!

Am I doing something wrong here??

[FJCC]

Have you set the format of the column to something that will accept the leading $, some kind of currency format?
Also, you should be able to import the currency values as numbers so that you don't have to use the Text to Columns trick. When I open a csv I get an import dialog. If I check Detect Special Numbers, currency and dates come in as numbers.

[Villeroy]

Don't fix wrongly imported data. Import them correctly.
The solution is always (hundreds of cases discussed here):

1) Choose the correct import language
2) Check option "Detect special numbers"
Don't ignore options you don't understand. There is a help button on the import dialog.

1) In your case the import language may be English(USA) because of the $ Currency. If your data set includes any US dates (12/31/1999), English(USA) is the right language for sure. If you have to import normal dates (31/12/1999), English(Australian) would be a better choice (Australians use $ currency and normal dates).
2) Always check this option. Only in very rare cases you want to turn it off.

[pizzipie]

Thank you both for a quick reply.

I have no control over the import format. The store just says export which you click and it does it's thing. here are no options.

The step I missed was formatting the column to currency. When I did that all is well.

Thanks,

R