CSV export configuration problem

lince · Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2015 11:33 pm Post subject: CSV export configuration problem

Hello,
I've tried to export my ballistics data in a CSV file but I found a problem: my laptop has defined a local configuration as ES (spanish), so the decimal separator is a comma "," instead of a dot "."
So when importing to excel or another program the created CSV file it doesn't distinguish between decimal numbers of a value and a different column data.

Maybe some of you could suggest to me to change the locale values of my laptop but this is very complicated for the rest of my software, so I'd suggest to modify Pointblack to be able to change the separator character (for example to a TAB, a DOT, etc.) for CSV files. In this way for different languages it could be easier to manage the data. I suppose this is an easy solution.
Another option is to change the CSV export file format to be written in fixed width columns, but I suppose this is more complicated to code.
As usual, thanks to everybody for reading and also to DallanC for this superb software.
Best regards from Spain!.

MacD

A workaround is to change the language for your spreadsheet to English and import the CSV file.Then change back to Spanish and export a new CSV file. I know language can be set in MS Office and I assume in Open Office.

lince

MacD,
Thanks a lot for your help, but anyway I think it's not a solution: the problem appears when exporting from PB to a CSV file, in which both decimal and separators are commas. In this way whichever language is defined in the spreadsheet it will take all commas as separators.
Or maybe I didn't understand your suggestion, could you please confirm?

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Yea I export it directly using the USA standard. In fact, all data IS in USA/ English units regardless of country formatting or metric unit mode, for data tracking and computing. I convert on the fly to metric or country specific when I display data fields.

Really, what I just need to do is add a native way within pointblank to edit any particular data field and save it out. There just isnt a real need to use intermediary programs to edit stuff. PointBlank can / should just allow it as a feature within itself.

Plus, SLK files while being one if not the oldest and widest supported database formats, really should be replaced with XML or even the new LUA formats.

Its on the TODO list, right now I'm working on the mobile versions.

-DallanC

lince

Hi again.
Workaround found, a little bit tricky but it works, just in case it helps to somebody over there:
1) install a PDF printer in your system and make it default printer for windows (I use doPDF but I suppose some other will work too)
2) Compute your ballistics and go to your table data window
3) Print (it will create a PDF document with correct data and formatting)
4) Open the pdf and export all data to a text file (select all, copy, open notepad, paste and save to a file with .txt extension). All data will be exported with space separators.
5) A tricky step: edit the txt file to delete wichever data you don't need (headings, etc.)
6) Start your spreadsheet and open the txt file, importing the with spaces as separators.

New suggestion to include a feature that will ease this: when you select rows in table data window (also in MOA table and Misc windows) it could be very useful to include the ability to copy the selected data using the right button of the mouse, could it be possible?

Again, thanks to everybody (specially to DallanC) and hope that helps!
Regards from Spain.