eplisp

How to Open a CSV File in Excel With the Right Columns

eplisp reports are CSV files; open them in Excel with the right delimiter and keep them as .xlsx.

Why the reports are CSV files

Tools such as BOQ and LOADSCHED write their results to a CSV file and can also draw the same table into the drawing. Usually you can open a CSV file in Excel just by double-clicking it, but whether the columns split correctly depends on your computer's regional settings.

A CSV file is plain text. Each line is a table row, and columns are separated by a delimiter character. When saving, the tool asks where to save the file and what to call it; the default location is the drawing's folder.

English and Turkish files are different

The English builds use a comma (,) as the column delimiter and a period as the decimal point (12.5). The Turkish builds use a semicolon (;) and a decimal comma (12,5), because that is what Excel expects on Turkish Windows.

If your Windows regional format matches the file, a double-click is all you need. If you open a Turkish file on a US-format computer, or the other way around, all the data may land in one column or numbers may show up as text.

If everything is in one column: From Text/CSV

Instead of double-clicking, use Excel's import tool so you can pick the delimiter yourself.

  • Open a blank workbook in Excel.
  • On the Data tab, click From Text/CSV.
  • Select the CSV file and click Import.
  • In the preview, set Delimiter to Comma for English files or Semicolon for Turkish files.
  • If special characters look wrong, try a different encoding in the File Origin list.
  • When the preview looks right, click Load.

Fixing a file you already opened: Text to Columns

If the file is open and every row sits in column A, select column A and run Data > Text to Columns. Choose Delimited and tick the correct delimiter.

On the last step, the Advanced button lets you set the decimal and thousands separators, so values like 12.5 or 12,5 are recognized as numbers.

Saving as an Excel workbook (.xlsx)

CSV stores values only. Column widths, bold text, formulas and extra sheets are not saved in a CSV file. If you plan to work on the report, use File > Save As and choose Excel Workbook (*.xlsx).

That way any formulas you add to the unit price and total columns are kept. You can keep the original CSV as a backup if you like.