The Good, The Bad, and the Excel CSV format

anthonydinarda · 2014-10-30T14:57:43.000Z

Currently working on a label automated printing project at work and currently wanna pull my hair out. In the software we use to design and automate the printing, we use an excel sheet to input all the various information we need on the label, i.e. production number, description, and what have you. Likewise, we have to convert this excel sheet into a CSV format in order to have a data filter to get various data into the right place. The problem comes from one of the fields containing the baking instructions, we are a bakery factory, is getting pushed into the first column of the excel sheet when saved as a csv file. Looked into whether text wrap is causing this issue, however, I believe the issue is caused by the very nature in which the baking instructions are written. For example, it looks something like this.

Place batter in muffin trays
Throw the muffin tray in your oven
yadda yadda yadda.

Is there anyway to use csv while maintaining the unique formatting for our baking instructions without it getting pushed to columns it doesn’t belong in? My suggestion at work is to convert the the instructions into bitmap form, however, it would make updating the baking instructions more difficult. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

justinmiller · 2014-10-30T15:02:08.000Z

I’m having trouble picturing what you’re describing. Can you show us?

kptim · 2014-10-30T15:05:44.000Z

Before exporting to the CSV file be sure the column that contains the baking instructions is formatted correctly.

Capture.JPG800×829 106 KB

This should do it.

anthonydinarda · 2014-10-30T15:09:56.000Z

We been messing with the formatting but haven’t found a solution yet. We had a similar issue with a column header jumping columns and found that wrapped text was causing the issue. There’s just weird formatting going on in the instructions that’s unique to that column that I think is messing with it.

chadtorgerson · 2014-10-30T15:14:05.000Z

One issue that might be giving the CSV a headache is any commas in the instructions (CSV = Comma Separated Values). It will read the comma in the instruction and move it to the next column. Is that possibly what’s happening?

kptim · 2014-10-30T15:14:09.000Z

Take a look at this, might help.

stackoverflow.com

C# creating a CSV file so contents of one field wraps in a cell

c#, excel

asked by Mike on 04:42PM - 10 Nov 11 UTC

anthonydinarda · 2014-10-30T15:15:51.000Z

It’s exactly what I think is happening. Was wondering if there was a workaround.

anthonydinarda · 2014-10-30T15:18:42.000Z

Here’s what the formatting/text for the baking instructions look like, you can probably understand why its such a headache now.

instruction.PNG1024×403 55.5 KB

anthonydinarda · 2014-10-30T15:19:50.000Z

The worse part is we kinda subbed out punching in all the instructions to a part time helper we have in the office and they didn’t do it uniformly at all

anthonydinarda · 2014-10-30T15:23:43.000Z

And this is what is happening when we try to bring the CSV into the software as a data filter

paininmyass.PNG912×674 22.8 KB

anthonydinarda · 2014-10-30T15:24:50.000Z

paininmyass.PNG800×591 62.8 KB

TIL how to drag and drop pictures into spice works.

anthonydinarda · 2014-10-30T15:25:16.000Z

instruction.PNG800×315 39.1 KB

This is what the instruction text and formatting looks like as well.