h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Any easy and aesthetically pleasing way to read csv files on a mac? I can open them in a text file, but the formatting is crap eg the data just runs in a line and so is hard to read.

I'm having a look online but can't see anything that isn't clunky jumping out at me.

How does csv look in windows?

Aren't csv files just comma separated value text files? Or is this some other thing?

If the csv file is for a database, you could try Neooffice Calc.

Neooffice is Openoffice for OS X

http://goo.gl/hHu5

Ok, I downloaded neooffice, opening the csv file and it looks just the same

I guess what I need is something that will convert the data into an easily readable form. Is that possible? Or do I just have to accept that my dumbass phone company really doesn't care that much about the readability of its files (my toll account)?

This is what it looks like:

CALLING_NUMBER,AMOUNT_EXCL,AMOUNT_GST,AMOUNT,SECONDS,CALLED_NUMBER,DESTINATION,START_DATE,START_TIME,CHILD_ACCOUNT
xxxxxxx,0.0000,0.0000,0.0000,xxxx,03xxxxxxx,National,2009-07-01,09:03:38,

And line after line of that.

I changed the numbers to xxx (don't really want to publish my mate's phone number on the internet).

The data as posted looks like it's missing an entry for CHILD_ACCOUNT

There are 10 fields in the 'header', but the data line has only nine, and ends with a comma. There should be a tenth entry, even if it's a zero or null value.

Launch NeoOffice Calc, and open the .csv file. In the initial dialogue, make sure the comma is selected as a delimiter, and the file should open as a spreadsheet, with the first line as the header, with ten headings, and the second and subsequent lines underneath as rows

Hang on a sec, and I'll post a screenshot somewhere...

Here ya go... http://public.fotki.com/taliesin/tech-stuff/

Are you suggesting that reading in a spreadsheet is better?


So are csv files for moving data between spread sheets? Is that their purpose?

If you have iWork, the Numbers app will do the same thing.

Do you now have Excel?

Excel opens .csv files as a simple spreadsheet.

Do you *not* have excel?

I don't want to open it in a spreadsheet. I want to open it in something that's easily readable.

I don't have excel. Isn't that a windows programme?

"So are csv files for moving data between spread sheets? Is that their purpose?"

Yes.

And can I export out of a spreadsheet into something more readable?

How is a spreadsheet not easily readable?

Wow, you don't know Excel? It's the spreadsheet part of Microsoft Office, probably the most ubiquitous piece of software on the planet.

I have had Microsoft Office for Mac since the early 90s.

I wonder if you are not importing it into the spreadsheet incorrectly. It should be extremely readable in a spreadsheet - that's what they're for largely after all.

Have you tried opening it in different ways? It should give you options like 'comma delimited', 'tab delimited' etc. Try them out until you find the right one.

I'll give it another go

I think Office is really expensive. And later mac OS doesn't really need it.

Sorry, should have read the backlog there.

>And later mac OS doesn't really need it.<

Depends who you work for.
You come work for my boss and try submitting documents with anything else...

http://www.openoffice.org