Re: Leading 0's in a CSV file

[Scott Klement <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004, Smith, Mike wrote:

> I have created a CSV file and this particular record looks
> like"0006075", but when it is opened(through EXCEL)  it shows as 6075.

I know this isn't the simple answer you're hoping to get, but I'd create
the thing in Excel format in the first place rather than using CSV as a
go-between.

CSV is not intended to be able to contain formatting for the fields in it.

Instead, get the HSSF Java classes from Apache (they don't cost anything)
and write a program that outputs a "real" Excel file.  Then you can just
tell it "this is a string" and it'll store it as a string, not a number.
Or if you like it as a number, you could insert a cell style that tells it
how the number should be formatted.

That would also give you the chance to do things like set the column
widths to useful sizes, adjust the fonts, underline things, insert
formulas, colors, etc.

If your interested, I've written some RPG samples of this sort of thing in
my newsletter. Here are some links:

  http://www.iseriesnetwork.com/article.cfm?ID=19278
  http://www.iseriesnetwork.com/article.cfm?ID=19337

Those links require a membership to the iSeries Network -- though a free
"associate" membership should work.

I've written other articles on the topic, but they haven't been posted to
the web site yet.  Those two are the "getting started" ones, though.  So
they're probably the ones you want.