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Better learn to properly import data via csv. If you just double click you get the excel helpfulness. If you choose open you can specify the column formats. I load dates and zip codes as text and then format the columns correctly AFTER everything loads. VBA macros are wonderful if you have the same format over and over again. If I has a nickle for everytime excel munged a date or stripped a leading zero from a zip code, I'd be rich beyond dreams.

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I've always been surprised at how bad Excel is at importing CSV files. The solution feels like it was hacked together by an intern over the weekend even though this is an incredibly common use case.

I had to build a very basic CSV->XLS tool once because the built-in CSV import kept screwing up. Admittedly the CSV files were slightly mis-formatted in places, but that wasn't the only headache with the import.

It's really good these days compared to a few years back. You just need to use the import feature in the Data ribbon menu instead of just double clicking on the csv file. This way you get to use the "Power Query" tool that allows you to import a csv file a lot more precisely.

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