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Sure, now try to open a CSV that has line breaks in some cells (which is something basic and that follows the CSV spec) and tell me if Excel is still cool. htt

Sure, now try to open a CSV that has line breaks in some cells (which is something basic and that follows the CSV spec) and tell me if Excel is still cool. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2668678/importing-csv-with-line-breaks-in-excel-2007 https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2668678/importing-csv-wi... It is literally impossible. The best solution is "Import it in Google Sheets and export to Excel format"... Excel is powerful, but it is not cool at all, the UX of even basic features is awful and some of the most used functions have annoying behaviors (VLOOKUP when the data type of the 2 columns is not exactly the same for example).

bzxcvbn 4y ago
It sounds like SO isn't really an expert on Excel. The correct answer (Data > From Text/CSV) is sitting at the bottom with 0-1 votes. Most answers are from the early 2010's and outdated.
- iLoveOncall 4y ago
  This does not work even in Excel 2019. In any case, not supporting when you just double-click a CSV to open it with Excel means that it's not usable for the vast majority of users. We faced the issue when we were exporting data to customers in CSV format, and "Replacing new lines with '/'" ended up being a preferred solution over having the user perform any action.
  - bzxcvbn 4y ago
    Maybe stop using outdated software?
    - iLoveOncall 4y ago
      The mainstream support for Office 2019 ends on October 10, 2023 and the extended support on October 14, 2025. It's not outdated software.
      - bzxcvbn 4y ago
        Supported doesn't mean current. They'll fix security holes and help paying customers use the software as it is, but that is it. Not introducing new features or backport improvements.
_dain_ 4y ago
>It is literally impossible. You can do this in Powerquery. >VLOOKUP when the data type of the 2 columns is not exactly the same for example). Use XLOOKUP.
- iLoveOncall 4y ago
  > You can do this in Powerquery. Yeah, pretty sure that having to use an ETL layer before Excel qualifies as "It's literally impossible to do it in Excel". > Use XLOOKUP. It's only available after Excel 2019, and the behavior is different. There's also nothing that seems to indicate that it doesn't have the same issue with column types?
- cfiggers 4y ago
  > Use XLOOKUP. Use INDEX and MATCH.
bee_rider 4y ago
RFC 4180 came too late. I think CSV is more commonly taken to be just a general description of the data, than a reference to a particular standardized spec (I mean it is notorious for ad-hoc implementations, right?).
navjack27 4y ago
Xlookup exists CSV of all types can be imported with power query.

bzxcvbn 4y ago

It sounds like SO isn't really an expert on Excel. The correct answer (Data > From Text/CSV) is sitting at the bottom with 0-1 votes. Most answers are from the early 2010's and outdated.

iLoveOncall 4y ago
This does not work even in Excel 2019. In any case, not supporting when you just double-click a CSV to open it with Excel means that it's not usable for the vast majority of users. We faced the issue when we were exporting data to customers in CSV format, and "Replacing new lines with '/'" ended up being a preferred solution over having the user perform any action.
- bzxcvbn 4y ago
  Maybe stop using outdated software?
  - iLoveOncall 4y ago
    The mainstream support for Office 2019 ends on October 10, 2023 and the extended support on October 14, 2025. It's not outdated software.
    - bzxcvbn 4y ago
      Supported doesn't mean current. They'll fix security holes and help paying customers use the software as it is, but that is it. Not introducing new features or backport improvements.

_dain_ 4y ago

>It is literally impossible. You can do this in Powerquery. >VLOOKUP when the data type of the 2 columns is not exactly the same for example). Use XLOOKUP.

iLoveOncall 4y ago
> You can do this in Powerquery. Yeah, pretty sure that having to use an ETL layer before Excel qualifies as "It's literally impossible to do it in Excel". > Use XLOOKUP. It's only available after Excel 2019, and the behavior is different. There's also nothing that seems to indicate that it doesn't have the same issue with column types?
cfiggers 4y ago
> Use XLOOKUP. Use INDEX and MATCH.

bee_rider 4y ago

RFC 4180 came too late. I think CSV is more commonly taken to be just a general description of the data, than a reference to a particular standardized spec (I mean it is notorious for ad-hoc implementations, right?).

navjack27 4y ago

Xlookup exists CSV of all types can be imported with power query.