Downloading Tips
After choosing to download estimates as a csv (comma-separated values) file or as a xls file, a "File Download" box should appear. When the box appears, select "Save" to save the file to your computer. When the "Save As" box appears:
- Enter an appropriate file name.
- Select a file type of "Comma-Separated Values" if saving as a csv file or "Excel Worksheet" if saving as an Excel file.
- Note the location of the saved file.
- Click on the "Save" button.
If the "File Download" box does not appear and you get a screen full of text instead, you may manually save a text file by:
- Selecting your browser's "File | Save As..." menu item.
- Enter an appropriate file name with a .csv, .txt, or .prn extension. These file name extensions are common to text files that are imported into spreadsheets.
- Select a file type of "Text File."
- Note the location of the saved file.
- Click on the "Save" button.
- The file will be saved as a quoted, comma-delimited text file.
Tips for Importing Comma-Delimited Text Files (Including CSV Files)
Note: The comma-delimited text file may not appear properly in some text editing programs,
such as Notepad. However, it will appear properly in other programs, such as Wordpad.
Comma-delimited text files are designed to be imported into a spreadsheet application.
Here are some tips to make this procedure easy.
- Name your file carefully. When downloading a text file, be certain to specify the file type as either "Comma-Separated Values" or "Text File" (and not "Web Page") and to give your file name an appropriate extension, such as .csv, .prn, or .txt.
- Note the location of the saved file.
- If you are using MS Excel:
- If you saved the file with a .csv extension, you may be able to double click on the file and it will open in Excel. If that doesn't work, open Excel and proceed to the next step.
- Select Open from the File menu.
- Select "Text Files (*.prn; *.txt"; *.csv)" in the box "Files of Type".
- Select the file you want to import and click on "Open".
- The Text Import Wizard should pop up. Select "Delimited" in step one.
- Select "Comma" in step two.
- Specify more options in step three if you want to, then press "Finish".
- If you are using Quattro Pro:
- V.6 Notebook | Text import - choose comma and quote delimited.
- V.5 & V.7 Data | Text import - choose comma and quote delimited.
- V.8 A six-step process:
- Tools | Data Tools | Quick Columns.
- Select the text file that you want to import.
- Click on Options.
- Change file data type to Delimited.
- Select delimiters (comma and quote).
- Click the Parse button.
- Tools | Settings | Macro then set the Slash Key entry to Quattro Pro - DOS.
- Slash ("/") - Tools | Import.
- If you are using Lotus 1-2-3 Select the keyboard slash command File Import as Numbers. (Keyboard combination /FIN). This is the easiest way to import a file in Windows Lotus as well as the DOS version.
- If you are using an older MS Excel Select Open from the File menu, then click on the Text button. Select comma delimiters, then OK.