Re: query tool csv/txt output file extension choice and encoding

Always naming the file as ".csv", regardless of the delimited used, was a
bug that was fixed.

The problem with always naming a file as ".csv" is that Excel then blindly
assumes that the file actually does contain comma-delimited fields, and
bypasses the Import From Text Wizard, so if you use anything other than
commas (e.g., you want TAB separators), then Excel won't split your file
into multiple columns correctly. Therefore, before the bug was fixed, you
had to manually rename all of pgAdmin's "export to file" outputs to
".txt". (Exactly what you don't want to have to do, too!)

Note, if your file is ends with ".txt", then simply doing a "File" | "Open"
in Excel will automatically/correctly invoke the Import from Text Wizard,
and let you pick the delimiter you want (and it does a good job of
auto-detecting). Easy!

And, if you don't want to use commas as your delimiter (for any number of
reasons), then you can change that in pgAdmin by going to "File" |
"Preferences" | "CVS/TXT Output" and choose your preferred delimiter (e.g.,
Tab, "|", etc.), and thereafter that's what pgAdmin will always use when
you do an "export to file", but will give it an ".txt" extension so Excel
won't screw up opening the file because it's expecting commas as delimiters.

Cheers,
Dave

On Fri, Feb 5, 2021 at 1:25 PM Alain Dupeyron <adupeyron(at)yahoo(dot)fr> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I'm using frequently the download file function in the query tool. In
previous version of PgAdmin4, I select field separator ";" and file was
always generated with extension .csv and can be opened directly by Excel in
one click with correct columns !
>
> Now I have always .txt extension (since 4.28 or before, I'm in PgAdmin
4.29 for now) but the .txt file do not open directly in excel
> I Have to launch excel and open it but colums are not detected in my
French excel, I have to convert data...(idem with TAB
separator)...fastidious !
> Or I have to save the file from the browser, then navigate to file, then
I change its extension to .csv, confirm and then the file is opened
correctly...fastidious !
>
> When I choose field separator "," in PgAdmin, then file is generated with
extension .csv but colums are not detected in French Excel (comma is the
decimal number separator in France...)
>
> => How can I "force" or choose in Pgadmin to always generate file with
extension .csv independently of selected field separator ?
>
>
> 2nd point: Can we choose file encoding of generated file too ? it's in
UTF-8 now (was plateform dependant in PgAdmin 3?)
> accentuated characters are not detected corretly by french excel
(expecting by default my Windows-1252 plateform encoding), I have to import
file in excel and to select the right utf8 encoding in a huge encoding
list...
>
> Other approach : copy from query result then paste in excel and save the
file myself...
> accent are ok but column header are missing, I need to select the option
on each new query tab "copy with header" => there is no pgAdmin preferences
for that point ? (was in PgAdmin 3)
>
>
> Yes we can blame Excel/Windows and csv format but it's the only download
format proposed here for spreadsheet tool and only theses 2-3
configurations are missing to parametrize it as expected by end user
platform...
>
> Thanks