TechTalk

Opening files in pipe-delimited format

Microsoft Excel instructions

1. Save a copy of the output data file someplace you will remember and then open Excel without clicking on any file.
2. Click File, then Open from the Excel menu.
3. Select Text Files from the Files of type listbox and then select the output data file. The Text Import Wizard dialog box will now appear.
4. Set the Original data type parameter to Delimited. Click Next to proceed.
5. Set the Delimiters parameter to Other and then type in a pipe character¹.
6. Make sure Other is the only value checked. Click Next.
7. Optionally redefine field types for fields containing numeric codes from General to Text so leading zeros (if present) don't get dropped.
8. Click Next or Finish.

¹ Hold down the Shift key and press the Pipe/Backslash key (above right of Enter key) to type the pipe character.