Import csv data into a specifically formatted Word table

P

Pat Dools

I have data from a statistician that needs to be put in specifically
formatted tables. She usually sends me that data in a word document, csv
style and I need to rework that data into a table. Since we might run and
rerun the data several times over the course of the month and the specific
formatting for each table is pretty specific, I was wondering if there is
anyway to set all of the tables structure and then import the data into the
body of the tables. My thoughts we to create a template, but I am not sure
if that is the way to go.

I am not sure exactly where to post this, or if this can be done. Thanks
for any guidance you can give me.
 
J

Jezebel

Hard to be precise without knowing more about what you need to end up with,
but you might be better using Excel rather than Word, at least initially.
Excel can read csv data directly, so if you have a spreadsheet set up with
the columns formatted as you need them, most of the tabulation formatting
can happen automatically.

You can embed the Excel tables in a Word document, if you need to dress them
up further.
 
P

Pat Dools

Due to quality control constraints I am not permitted to use excel at all,
which is making this a challenge.

What I need to do:

I have about 40 different tables, each with different formatting. Every
month I will get data that needs to go into each of these separate 40 tables
.. The data from the old table will have to be deleted and the new data will
need to go in.

Rather than reconstruct the whole table, I would love to save the shell
(headers/spacing) and just bring in the new data, since the formatting has to
be really specific.

The statistician will send me a word doc with the data in a comma delimited
format. Is there anyway to put this data into a table without having to
reformat the table each time?

Many thanks.
 
J

Jezebel

Can't think of an easy way off-hand, but I'll ponder.

If it were me, I'd also be saying very rude things to your quality people --
the method you're currently using is MUCH more prone to error than using
Excel would be.

As the saying has it: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Failing
that, become a quality consultant."
 
P

Pat Dools

Thank you for your help. Right now I am saving the tables as separate
templates and then cutting and pasting the data in the rows (as long as they
are equal it works). I am just hoping there was something more efficient.
 
D

Doug Robbins

You could use a catalog (or in Word XP and later, it's call directory) type
mailmerge main document with the .csv file as a datasource. If you put the
mergefield names (assuming that there is a header row in the .csv table) in
the cells of a one row table, when you execute the merge to a new document,
the document will contain a table with one row for each record in the
datasource. You could then copy and paste that table into your document.

--
Please respond to the Newsgroup for the benefit of others who may be
interested. Questions sent directly to me will only be answered on a paid
consulting basis.

Hope this helps,
Doug Robbins - Word MVP
 
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