Forum Discussion

Copper Contributor

Aug 03, 2018

Save as CSV file (UTF-8) with double quotes - how?

Hi I often need to save data as a CSV file (UTF-8) where all cells are surrounded by double quotes. I cannot find any way to do that in Excel - can it be true? Any idea how to do that?

excel

DanGuinan

Copper Contributor

Oct 29, 2020

Peter Snabe

I read through all the replies and best I can see there is STILL NO EASY WAY to do this simple task.

Excel can read a csv with double quotes, but it won't save it the same way.

This is has been a big disappointment of mine since 2012, I can not believe there is no easier way.

So I continue to use Access.

crackwood01
Copper Contributor
Jan 24, 2021
Well there is two "not simple way" to do it.

1.You could use Kutools, Text->add text, you could use a character that you never use such as ¿ (ALT+168), at the beggining and at the end of each cell.
Then you save as CSV-UT8, after you use Notepad to replace ¿ for ".

2. Use a macro instead of Kutools to do the same.
Select the cells

Sub LEFT-RIGHT()
Dim c As Range
For Each c In Selection
If c.Value <> "" Then c.Value = "¿" & c.Value & "¿"
Next
End Sub

Then use Notepad to Search And Replace

Not that hard, but could easily be inserted in options by Microsoft

I sometimes wonder myself: "How could people with no computer skills could do it?, but then i realize people with no computer skills don't use csv files" .. so i guess it's fine