How to Open a CSV File With VBA
By L.P. Klages
A Comma Separated Value (CSV) file is a plain text file that has a single record on each line. Each line is separated by a comma. A CSV file is sometimes called a comma delimited file. You can work with CSV files in Microsoft Excel and it's possible to get Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to do the work for you, including opening the file at the push of a button.
Step 1
Open the Visual Basic Editor (VBE) in Excel by pressing "Alt" and "F11" together.
Step 2
Click on "Insert," then click on "Module."
Step 3
Cut and paste the following code into the blank window:
Sub opencsv() ' opencsv Macro Workbooks.Open Filename:= _ "C:\Desktop\myfile.csv" End Sub
Step 4
Change the file name in the above code to reflect the name of the file you want to open and the location it is in. For example, if you wanted to open a CSV file called Bills and it is located in the MyDocuments folder, then you would change the line of code that reads "C:\Desktop\myfile.csv" to "C:\MyDocuments\Bills.csv".
Step 5
Run the code by pressing "F5" from the VBE. Once you press F5, the file will open in Excel.
Tips
- VBA only works in the worksheet that is open when you write the code. If you want it to work in multiple worksheets, you'll need to cut and paste the code into the VBE on any worksheet you want the code to be able to work in.
Writer Bio
L.P. Klages is an entrepreneur and software developer, concentrating on information theory, software user experience, and mathematical modeling. He has been writing about technology and the business of technology since 1999. His articles have appeared on many sites, including GameDev.net, KenSharpe.net, and eHow. Klages attended Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Fla.