How to force Excel to open CSV files with data arranged in columns

Question

I generate a CSV file with an extension .csv in which every piece of data in one line is separated with a comma:

1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4

The file is sent via email and I want that when a customer opens it she sees data arranged into columns.

Is such thing possible?

PS: I may freely change the delimeter.

As far as I am concerned, you can't do anything except for importing the data into Excel, since Excel can't make any assumptions about the structure of the data itself (e.g. the separator used, the format of decimals or the general format of data).
Oh, I didn't know that Excel was capable of doing this. Nice one.
By just double click the CSV file, Excel will be opened and the file will be displayed correctly. Am I correct?
@wilson: Excel has to be associated to open .csv files then by double clicking a .csv file excel will be launched

Joel Coehoorn · Answer 1 · 2011-01-28 14:32:58Z

up vote 1 down vote accepted

Just use tab instead of comma. And if that doesn't work, give your tab delimited file an xls extension.

answered Jan 28 '11 at 14:32

thanks for the solution, I left the .csv as file extension – Tim Jan 28 '11 at 14:38

feedback

1 Answer