CSV export from Excel always recognise null values in the last col

Hi ,

I'm using Excel 2003 to read csv files that have been exported from an
Oracle database. The data is modified in Excel, saved back to csv and then
loaded back into Oracle. The first row of data is always a header that
defines the columns of data. The last column of data is often null or empty
when viewed in Excel. When saving data back to CSV and then viewing it in a
text editor I would expect to see lines of data ending with a value where the
last column is populated or ending with a comma when the last column is empty.

Sometimes the row with an empty last column will end in a comma, sometimes
not. It displays ok when read back into Excel but the program that
manipulates data back into Oracle fails because of the missing trailing comma
when the last column is empty. For example the text file might look like:

head1, head2, head3
a,b,c
a,b,
a,b

The last row is the one that wouls casue a problem. I can change the data
loading program but I was wondering if there was some setup or format item
that I've missed that would fix the problem.

Thanks in advance.

Richard, your gonna love this answer. I had the same issue, found this on MS KB

http://support.microsoft.com/default...kb;en-us;77295

"RichardOKeefe" wrote:

> Hi ,
>
> I'm using Excel 2003 to read csv files that have been exported from an
> Oracle database. The data is modified in Excel, saved back to csv and then
> loaded back into Oracle. The first row of data is always a header that
> defines the columns of data. The last column of data is often null or empty
> when viewed in Excel. When saving data back to CSV and then viewing it in a
> text editor I would expect to see lines of data ending with a value where the
> last column is populated or ending with a comma when the last column is empty.
>
> Sometimes the row with an empty last column will end in a comma, sometimes
> not. It displays ok when read back into Excel but the program that
> manipulates data back into Oracle fails because of the missing trailing comma
> when the last column is empty. For example the text file might look like:
>
> head1, head2, head3
> a,b,c
> a,b,
> a,b
>
> The last row is the one that wouls casue a problem. I can change the data
> loading program but I was wondering if there was some setup or format item
> that I've missed that would fix the problem.
>
> Thanks in advance.

Thanks Wayne, I had a feeling it would be something stupid like that

"Wayne" wrote:

> Richard, your gonna love this answer. I had the same issue, found this on MS KB
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...kb;en-us;77295
>
> "RichardOKeefe" wrote:
>
> > Hi ,
> >
> > I'm using Excel 2003 to read csv files that have been exported from an
> > Oracle database. The data is modified in Excel, saved back to csv and then
> > loaded back into Oracle. The first row of data is always a header that
> > defines the columns of data. The last column of data is often null or empty
> > when viewed in Excel. When saving data back to CSV and then viewing it in a
> > text editor I would expect to see lines of data ending with a value where the
> > last column is populated or ending with a comma when the last column is empty.
> >
> > Sometimes the row with an empty last column will end in a comma, sometimes
> > not. It displays ok when read back into Excel but the program that
> > manipulates data back into Oracle fails because of the missing trailing comma
> > when the last column is empty. For example the text file might look like:
> >
> > head1, head2, head3
> > a,b,c
> > a,b,
> > a,b
> >
> > The last row is the one that wouls casue a problem. I can change the data
> > loading program but I was wondering if there was some setup or format item
> > that I've missed that would fix the problem.
> >
> > Thanks in advance.