need to read/access .csv files

Blues-8,

Normally, CSV files are Comma-Separated-Value files.  These files can be created by various programs such as Outlook Express when exporting data to be imported into another program such as Windows Mail, Microsoft Outlook or Excel.   It really would help if we knew what program generated your CSV files.  If you have Excel, it should open the CSV files with no problem.  Keep in mind you will be reading raw data, so you may have to format the fields to properly display the information.  If you do not have Microsoft Office, you can download OpenOffice from www.openoffice.org for free.  Open Office's Calc program can read and write CSV files and Excel worksheets.

Tony

Tony,

Tks for your reply.

Here's what's goin' on:

I downloaded a CSV file from the "Flying J Truckstops" website.The file will give me the GPS coordinates for their truckstops and fueling locations. I saved the file and, upon trying to open it, I found out that I don't have the proper software; I tried the web search that was offered up and came up with a re-direct to "driverdownloadhub.com" and "fileextensiontype.com" where I'm offered-up free driver downloads without any mention of this CSV file ext.

I'm not very PC savvy and worry about malicious downloads so I didn't download the "free downloads" promoted there. I do not know what program generated the CSV file from "Flyingj.com.

So, here I am seeking help from a source I trust, having been here in previous years & having some issues resolved by the people on the forums... Will  the "open office" program require much memory?

working with Dimension 3000 & XP

Tks again for your input and patience.   Blues-8.

Blues-8,

The system requirements for OpenOffice are here:  http://www.openoffice.org/dev_docs/source/sys_reqs_30.html

Your Dimension 3000 with XP should run it nicely.  It only requires 650Mb of hard drive space, 256Mb of RAM and 1024x768 screen resolution with 256 colors.

Most likely, the CSV file at Flyingj.com was created using Microsoft Excel, Access or a similar database program.  You should be able to use it directly with Open Office Calc. 

I can't resist the tempatation to tell you a funny story about trying to get an ASCII, comma-delimited database from a county elections board.

I told the political candidate to write down the description, give it to the elections board, and bring the file to me for inclusion in a mailing list I was preparing for him.  The next day I stopped by to pick up the file.  The political candidate told me that the elections board's computer tech had never heard of an ASCII, comma-delimited file.  I was stunned, since the elections board used an IBM mainframe.  I couldn't imagine a computer tech who never heard of this very common type of database file.  When the candidate showed me the note he had written, I cracked up.  He had written down EXACTLY what he heard me say, ASCII COMEDY-LIMITED.

Tony