Importing CSV Files

Command:

File -> Load -> CSV Format...

DataLab supports the importing of CSV files (which are text files typically generated by Microsoft™ Excel™). When importing CSV data only the numeric data cells are imported, the text cells are ignored (except for column and row headings).

After clicking the command File/Load/CSV Format... the user has to select the corresponding CSV file. Thereafter DataLab asks whether the CSV file contains column and/or row headings¹, and which separator character is used in the file:

After clicking the OK button () the data will be imported and loaded into the data matrix. Unless the separator character is a comma floating point numbers may either contain a dot or a comma as decimal point.

Hint 1:

The import function of DataLab recognizes both dots and commas as decimal separators. This leads to wrong data if the CSV file has been generated by an Excel™ copy which works both with decimal separators and thousands separators.

Hint 2:

The separator set in this dialog is only valid for the selected file. If you want to make the selected separator permanent you have to specify this in the DataLab options dialog.

1	The headings have to be stored at the rim of the spreadsheet table (in the first column or in the first row).