Importing and Exporting Comma and Tab Delimited Files

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The file type Text CSV (Comma Separated Values) separates data fields by using delimiters such as commas, tabs, etc. Using the CSV format in NeoOffice allows you to import the data of a text file into a spreadsheet (in order to use the document as a database, for example). Conversely, you can export the data of a spreadsheet to a CSV-formatted file for use in a text document.

Importing a Text File into Calc

To import a file saved in .txt or .csv format, follow the steps below:

  • In the File menu, choose Open….
  • In the dialog which opens, in the File type drop-down menu, choose Text CSV.
  • Select the file you want to import and click Open.
  • In the Text Import dialog, select the row from which you want to import the text and the separator used in the file which you import, e. g. Tab.
  • In the Fields section, choose the Column type for each column. You can also hide some columns and they will not be imported.
  • Click OK.

N.B If the file has the .csv extension, you can simply double-click it in the Finder to display the Text Import dialog. In order for import to work properly, a file must either have the .txt extension and be opened using the steps above, or have a .csv extension. If your file does not have a filename extension, or has an extension other than .txt or .csv, NeoOffice will not show the Text Import and will open the document as a text file in Writer instead.

Exporting a Spreadsheet as a CSV File

  • In the spreadsheet you want to save as a Text CSV file, choose the File menu, then the Save As… item.
  • A dialog opens. In the File type drop-down menu choose Text CSV (.csv).
  • Select Edit filter settings
  • Give your document a name and choose the location where you want save it. Click Save.
  • In the Export of text files window, choose the Character set, e.g. Unicode (UTF-8) and the Field delimiter, e. g. {Tab} .
  • Click OK.
  • The file can be converted into .txt format by changing the extension in the Finder: select the file, then press Return or Enter and replace .csv with .txt.


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