Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: File Formats that Include Field Formats.
Wolfgang often imports CSV files that are created by other programs. When importing he needs to specify to Excel how it should treat the data that it is importing. This causes Wolfgang to wonder if there is a file format that Excel can import that has field formats embedded so that he doesn't have to do any manual work on import.
Unfortunately this cannot be done; Excel provides no way to add such information to a plain-text file it is importing. There is a potential workaround, however. You could simply import your CSV file with no formatting applied, and then use the macro recorder to record how you manually format the freshly imported data. This macro could then be executed every time you import another file that uses the same sort of data as the first CSV file you imported.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3415) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: File Formats that Include Field Formats.
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2015-06-05 16:51:53
L Drewes
I have used such a Macro to keep my bank data imports consistent (They have always provided a CSV formatted data import option).
If the bank changes the fields I just need to adjust (edit) the Macro to produce the same output results.
Avoid VBA "spaghetti" code. "Chunk" your coding efforts. "Record, test and comment" each block of code. You may not need to look at it again for months or even years!
Lou
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: 
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