convert xls to csv without any data changes

Question

I have xls file, in him is very unicode data, also data like this 0004 and etc.

I need convert this file to csv format, but if simple save as csv from ms excel, data are changed, unicode symbols converted to - ???, data like this 0004, converted to 4

There are possible to convert xls to csv without any data changes ?

Answer 1

Convert the column to text in following way and then save as csv. Solves the problem for me.

1. Select the column with such data
2. Open Data >> Text to Columns
3. Select Delimited >> Next >> Deselect all delimiters >> Next >> Select Text as Column Data Format and Finish.
4. Save as csv

Answer 2

There is a fourth solution: http://xls2csv.genxcrowd.com/features

I used this program to convert a lot of files as a "one shot".

There is a lot of advantages:

1. The export is fully customziable : encoding, delimiter, quote, etc..
2. You can execute it on a folder and define a destination folder for the results
3. You can execute it with command lines

Some screenshots:

Execution panel:

Configuration panel:

Answer 3

Here is three ways:

I) With openoffice you can convert any ms excel format to any excel format (csv too) and you can choose the character encoding, delimiter characters, etc for example utf-8 too.

1) Open xls file in openoffice

2) File/Save as

3) Choose the output format (CSV)

4) Click on save

5) A dialog appears, choose character encoding, delimiter character and the other ...

II) You can do it with ms office >= 2010 too:

http://www.excelforum.com/excel-general/400043-csv-and-unicode-or-utf-8-problem.html

III) Or if you have notepad++ you can convert character encoding of the 'wrong' character encoded csv file. Character Encoding, UTF or ANSI?