[python-win32] writing hyphenated values in csv

[Tim Roberts]

Emad Khan wrote:
>
> I am trying to write a hyphenated value in a csv file but I don't want
> this value to be auto corrected to a date. Whenever I write a value,
> for example, "3-10", it is changed to 03/10/2009 or 03-oct.
>
> How can I prevent this from happening. I would like to see the value
> remain to be "3-10".

You should be more specific.  I, for example, understand that it is
Excel that is doing this, but you need to mention that.  It's not really
a CSV or Python problem at all -- it's an Excel problem.

The answer, in this case, is to put an equals sign in front of the
quoted value.  Thus this file:

    123,3-10,"3-10",=3-10,="3-10"

gets imported as

    123    10-Mar    10-Mar    -7    3-10

Again, however, this is just an Excel quirk.  If you need to import into
Excel a lot, you might consider switching to Excel's XML format.  You
have a great deal more control in that case.

-- 
Tim Roberts, timr at probo.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.