excel changing @ to error

[Element Project]

I may be missing something simple but im have a problem with excel and InDesign.  I import an excel file in to InDesign to create people Buiness cards at my job.  For a long time this work with no problems.

But the past couple month i've been have a problem with excel.  Every time i open my excel file excel changes my @PIC field to an equation (=@pic), then when i save it it saves as an error.  I been working around it by open the file in a text doc after i make the changes and change the error back to @PIC.

Has any one had this probelm and found a solotion?

[Colin Flashman]

Have you upgraded your version of Microsoft Office? I've not seen this error myself. Can you change the field to '@pic (single quote in front of the at-symbol)?

[Element Project]

Not by choois, but a couple month back it update it self and that when the problems started.  I all ready try uninstalling and reinstalling. i also try another computer.

When i put a single quote inftont of the @ indesign sees it as a text field and breaks my templet.

[Colin Flashman]

That's unusual, the usual way to get Microsoft Excel to see an at-sign as text is to add a single quote before the at sign.

Before - the error message that you get when typing the at-sign without the single quote in Excel:

After - the appearance changes in Excel even though the actual content in the text is '@

[Element Project]

when i do that in excel it works but adobe indesign does not see the column as a pic any more and thinks it a text field.

Before the office update I had a  work around.  I made the file then open it in note pad and added the @ infront of the text i wanted.  At the time i could open the file and update the cells under it and save it and it was just fine.  But now as soon as i open the file it updates the header cells and see the error and when i save it saves it as an error.

I have not seen any seeting in excel that may fix this problem but i can be look right at it and not see it.  

[Colin Flashman]

when you are saving the text file, what format are you saving to precisely?

I would recommend UTF 16 text:

When importing your data merge file, make sure the show import options checkbox is turned on:

Once the file is selected, check the options to make sure the text is being imported as unicode:

I'd be keen to see a test file from your machine to see if I can replicate the fault on my machine, as may other posters. Do you have a redacted version that you could upload to cloud storage?

[Element Project]

Thanks but it does not work.

I'm just gone to make my life easyer and build a little page for the emplyees to goto and fill out there info.  I then can collect that data in a date base and write a scrip to export it out when it time and make me a csv list with everything i need.

I currently uses something similer to clean and prep mailing list to be used in indesign and that works.  

[Mario Fritsche]

Format the table cells as text.

[Eugene Tyson]

YOu need to add an apostrophe before the @ symbol so it's '@

[jane-e]

For a little bit of history:

Back in the days of DOS, Lotus 123 was the spreadsheet that was most popular, and it used @ to start a formula. When Microsoft Excel came out, it used the = sign, but needed to bring the Lotus users on board, so when we typed @, Excel changed it to = . Now, several decades later, I get this alert when I try to create an equation with the Lotus @ symbol:

If I choose "No", the formula starts with =@

If you simply type "@pic", Excel sees a formula and adds the = to the front in an attempt to be helpful.

To make it text, you can either format it as text in the ribbon or use the old Lotus shortcut of typing a single quote ' at the beginning of the cell to format it as text. You also need to look in the formula bar. It needs to read "@pic". If the = sign is still there, it needs to be removed.

~ Jane

[Element Project]

I already try that.  When i try to import that csv file in to indesign it sees the single quote and thinks the coloum is text.  excel will clear the single quote out when you reopen the file.  But the quote is still in the file even after you save it.  

Not sure if that how excel works or a glitch.  But i use to uses this to fix zip codes for mailing lists.  I format the cells to zip code so they get the zero in front. then save and close.  the zeo will be save in the file and i can uploaded it to the USPS and do my mailing list.  Excel will only delete the zero once i open the file i it.

I'm just gone to make my life easyer and build a little page for the emplyees to goto and fill out there info.  I then can collect that data in a date base and write a scrip to export it out when it time and make me a csv list with everything i need.

I currently uses something similer to clean and prep mailing list to be used in indesign and that works.  

thanks