Hi there
Went through the same issue. Here is the scenario:
I want to clean up my client directory to implement some better categorization, etc.
So I did the export...and once again, I did not think about the fact that there are leading zeros in any of the stupid fields and just did a plain upload into GSheets.
The damned auto import converted the "Text" to "Numbers". Why does that matter?
Well -- for the purpose of a spreadsheet a "Number" is something that can be used to calculate math equations which means that 01 = 1 and 04401 = 4401 because there is no numeric meaning to a leading ZERO in a number. But clearly, if you live Bangor, Maine -- the leading zero is pretty bloody important! Well...in systems that recognize Zipcode format, they have know how to interpret that field. But when you do CSV format -- it is in a universal format and the way it retains that leading zero is by being considered TEXT!!.
So, when you import that file into the next program (Excel, GSheets or whatever), you need to make sure that new spreadsheet knows there are some fields where the data that looks like numbers are not NUMBERS, they are "TEXT" -- for example SKUs, Zip Codes.
So, how do you avoid tell the spreadsheet you are importing your CSV into that your POSTAL Code field is TEXT?
1. Do NOT simply double-click & open the file in Excel -- even though it will let you do it. If you do that, it will autoconvert the TEXT to NUMBERS.
2. Instead, you must IMPORT any CSV that has leading zeros which will then open up a dialog box to ask you if you want to convert or treat Text as Numbers. Tell it NOOOOOO!!!!
In fact, I am writing this post today because I cannot believe that I made this mistake -- yet again. It's all good....I don't live in Maine -- so the number of leading zero zip codes that needed to be fixed was not horrific...but EEEK.
Hope this helps.
Hi there
Went through the same issue. Here is the scenario:
I want to clean up my client directory to implement some better categorization, etc.
So I did the export...and once again, I did not think about the fact that there are leading zeros in any of the stupid fields and just did a plain upload into GSheets.
The damned auto import converted the "Text" to "Numbers". Why does that matter?
Well -- for the purpose of a spreadsheet a "Number" is something that can be used to calculate math equations which means that 01 = 1 and 04401 = 4401 because there is no numeric meaning to a leading ZERO in a number. But clearly, if you live Bangor, Maine -- the leading zero is pretty bloody important! Well...in systems that recognize Zipcode format, they have know how to interpret that field. But when you do CSV format -- it is in a universal format and the way it retains that leading zero is by being considered TEXT!!.
So, when you import that file into the next program (Excel, GSheets or whatever), you need to make sure that new spreadsheet knows there are some fields where the data that looks like numbers are not NUMBERS, they are "TEXT" -- for example SKUs, Zip Codes.
So, how do you avoid tell the spreadsheet you are importing your CSV into that your POSTAL Code field is TEXT?
1. Do NOT simply double-click & open the file in Excel -- even though it will let you do it. If you do that, it will autoconvert the TEXT to NUMBERS.
2. Instead, you must IMPORT any CSV that has leading zeros which will then open up a dialog box to ask you if you want to convert or treat Text as Numbers. Tell it NOOOOOO!!!!
In fact, I am writing this post today because I cannot believe that I made this mistake -- yet again. It's all good....I don't live in Maine -- so the number of leading zero zip codes that needed to be fixed was not horrific...but EEEK.
Hope this helps.
