Why are the changes that I made in a CSV file not saved? For example, I change the style of a cell to "Numbers". I save the file, but when I open the file again, the changes aren't saved.
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CSV files contain only data, as comma-separated values. If you want to keep your formatting changes, save the file as an Excel file (i.e. myfile.xls), using the 'save as' file menu option.
Derek Illchuk
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1Even more: I'm quite sure Excel warns about that when saving...? – Arjan Dec 25 '09 at 11:22
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Oddly (and unfortunately) not anymore for me. Is there a setting? – zylstra Aug 14 '18 at 00:47
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Because csv only contains data, not style. If you want to save style save as .xls.
Skilldrick
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CSV files can't contain styling. Any styling you apply will only exist for that editing session.
If you want to preserve styling, save in a different format, such as XLS.
Avi Flax
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CSV files contain only data.
You can ensure Excel helps prevent formatting loss with its automatic Save As dialogue box. You can disable/re-enable the Save As box by going to File-->Options-->Save-->'Show data loss warning when editing comma delimited files'.
zylstra
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