Editing CSV Within Excel

This describes how to edit text files containing comma-separated values. Use this to define the keyword driven functional test scripts and LoadRunner Sample Script.

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1. Open .dat Files Within Excel

If you double click on a file with a ".csv" extension, Excel will present its "Text Import Wizard"

By default, LoadRunner VuGen creates parameter data files with the ".dat" suffix.

The drop-down list in LoadRunner's VuGen Parameter definition screen only lists files with the ".dat" suffix.
You need to click "Browse" to see files with other file suffixes (such as ".csv").

Within Windows Explorer, if you open a file with the ".dat" extension, Excel 2003 is not smart enough to present you its Text Import Wizard and will put entire rows into the first column of cells.

The solution is this:
Open ".dat" files from within Excel File, Open.

2. Click Comma

I wish that Excel will get smarter and have Comma checked by default.

3. Click Next
4. Click Finish

Note that Excel will treat commas as part of the text rather than as a column separator if a backslash (at the upper right corner of most keyboards) precedes that comma.

5. Format and Edit

So that text doesn't run into the next column:

Select the whole sheet by clicking on the cell above "1" and to the left of "A".

Cursor between the vertical bar between column headings "A" and "B" and double-click.
OR
Pull down Format and select Column, AutoFit Selection.

Now you can edit the values in the spreadsheet.

6. File Save As CSV
7. File Name

If you don't put a quote around file named with a file extension Microsoft thinks is odd, Excel will automatically add a file type extension to the file name.

8. Save as type

Be careful not to select "CSV (Macintosh)".

9. Confirm Save

After clicking "Save" you will need to confirm replacement.

Since you're working with an existing file, click "Yes"

You can't press Enter because the default is "No" because Microsoft assumes that people are clumsy and don't know what they're doing.

10. Confirm Formatting

Microsoft assumes that everything in the world will be eventually be converted into one of Microsoft's proprietary file formats.

Click Yes to temporarily escape being assimilated by the collective.

11. Exit Click No

Microsoft doesn't recognize saving to a non-Microsoft format as really saving a file. So if you try to close or exit after saving to CSV format, you will get a message such as this:

This is confusing because the file is supposed to have been saved already at this point.

But remember that if you're not saving your file into a format that Microsoft "owns", then you must be made to suffer.

Again, you can't simply press Enter to accept the default because arrogant Microsoft UI designers know their users are idiots.

If you are using TortoiseSVN (Subversion), you must exit the Excel application completely out of memory and "Clean Up" before you can successfully perform an "SVN Commit..."