Hi Eugene, Thanks for the reply, but this isn't really the problem - see my previous post.
I don't have a problem opening the .csv files and Excel is already the default application to do so - I don't want to open them in a text editor (but could easily do so if I wanted). The problem is how my system is downloading the .csv files: They used to download as "kind" = "text" (which a csv file really is) and quicklook and finder would preview just fine. They now download as 'kind" = "Microsoft Excel Document" (which, strictly speaking, it isn't) and which stops quicklook and finder from previewing them. It's not a major problem - both kinds open fine in Excel - it's just that I used to be able to quicklook these as they were downloaded - but now I can't without first converting the file "kind" to "text" - and it annoys me!! Cheers Neil -- Neil R. Houghton Albany, Western Australia Tel: +61 8 9841 6063 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on 28/11/08 2:03 PM, Eugene at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Generally excel will want to convert the .csv file format by default. > I think from memory .csv is comma delimited text. > > If you want it to be opened by a text editor like TextEdit you can > either drag it over the TextEdit icon on the dock or right click and > select open with. (Command i if you don't have a right mouse button) > > To make the operation a default: > click on the document once. > Go Command i > select Open with > Then hit the button Change all > > Hope this helps > > Regards, > Eugene > > > On 28/11/2008, at 11:01 AM, Neil Houghton wrote: > >> Hi all, >> >> Anybody got any thoughts on how to get my system back to >> downloading .csv >> files as "kind" = "text"? >> >> Anybody know how, when or by what the file "kind" of the downloaded >> file is >> actually set - because I don't really know where to look for any >> preferences >> which have been changed to cause this. >> >> As per my previous post, I have now worked out how to change the >> file kind >> of the files already downloaded - so I now have the "fix" - I'd >> just like to >> remove the actual problem!! >> >> TIA >> >> >> Neil >> -- >> Neil R. Houghton >> Albany, Western Australia >> Tel: +61 8 9841 6063 >> Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> >> >> on 23/11/08 5:09 PM, Neil Houghton at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >> >>> Hi Ronni, >>> >>> The thing is quicklook has no problem seeing all my .csv files >>> which were >>> downloaded before "something' changed when I re-installed >>> everything in >>> October. >>> >>> So my Commsec .csv files downloaded previous to the problem >>> appearing show >>> just fine in quicklook ie file type 1) in my original post: >>> >>> - Get info shows "kind" as "text" and "open with" as "Microsoft >>> Excel" >>> - Get info icon is an Excel icon >>> >>> But since the re-install and my telling finder to open all .csv >>> with Excel >>> (I'm not sure of the chicken & egg effect here) my Commsec .csv files >>> download differently - ie file type 2) in my original post: >>> >>> - Get info shows "kind" as "Microsoft Excel Document" and "open >>> with" as >>> "Microsoft Excel" >>> - Get info icon is a blank page icon >>> >>> So my problem is not getting quicklook to preview .csv files >>> (comma-separated values) - which after all are basically just >>> (delimited) >>> text files - as long as the file "kind" is "text" both quicklook >>> and the get >>> info preview pane can handle the .csv file just fine. >>> >>> The problem is that now the .csv files are downloading with the >>> file "kind" >>> as "Microsoft Excel Document" >>> >>> Excel itself doesn't care and opens up both types (as a microsoft >>> application it possibly only works on the .csv extension?) and, in >>> fact, is >>> the default application set to "open with" for both file types. >>> >>> Quicklook (and the get info preview pane) however must expect a >>> "Microsoft >>> Excel Document" to have a certain format - and presumably deal >>> with it >>> accordingly (so they display real .xls excel files just fine) - so, >>> presumably, since the .csv files don't meet their expectations >>> they just >>> show a generic "blank page" document preview. >>> >>> In other words, the way I see it, the problem is not trying to >>> work out how >>> to get quicklook to view .csv files - it does that just fine as >>> long as it >>> knows it is a text file - the problem is how to get the .csv files to >>> download as "text" files rather than "Microsoft Excel Document" >>> files. >>> >>> For the files that are already downloaded, I expect that I can >>> eventually >>> track down some terminal script to change the file "kind" - in the >>> meantime >>> I have no problems opening the files so I can live without the >>> quicklook >>> preview. >>> >>> What I am really trying to find out here is how to get my original >>> download >>> parameters back so that the .csv files just normally download as >>> file "kind" >>> = "text" - which is how it was all working until last month! >>> >>> The problem is that during the download process, I don't know how, >>> when or >>> by what the file "kind" of the downloaded file is set so I don't >>> really know >>> where to look for any preferences which have been changed to cause >>> this. >>> >>> Anybody got any ideas on this one? >>> >>> >>> Cheers >>> >>> >>> Neil >> >> >> >> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- >> Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> >> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> >> Unsubscribe - <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> Unsubscribe - <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
