Error message, "...xx tabs instead of the correct numbe

[tricianeill]

Hello -

I keep getting this error when uploading our database that we are saving to a tab delimited file from MS XLS 2002.

Error message "...xx tabs instead of the correct number of xx" when attempting to upload a pages or products database

I tried both of the the solutions listed here:
http://support.shopsite.com/kbase/

But they are not working. Any other ideas?

Thanks,

Tricia

[Jim]

Each row of data in the file MUST have the same number of tabs. The header row must also have data in all columns up to the last column (i.e. no empty cells between two cells with data)

Excel has a problem that it stops outputting tabs (after about 12 rows) if there are empty cells at the end of the row of data.

The solution is to insure that each row ends with something. I normally add a column called "junk" at the end of the header row and then copy "junk" to the last column of all the rows of data.

[tricianeill]

Hi Jim -

Thanks so much for the reply. Unfortunately, we had already tried this - and we are still getting the error...

What's really strange is that by chance we decided to try the EXACT same XLS file on a Macintosh using Excel saved to a tab delimited file and it imports fine. (Unfortunately, we don't have access to a Mac at all times, it was a vendor coming through.)

Have you ever heard of a conflict in Window Xcel (or possibly 2002) - we are thinking of upgrading, if this is going to be a huge issue for our store. (But, I'd hate to upgrade, and then find out it is still not going to work...) I'm going to check Microsoft's website for patches - maybe 2002 has an issue exporting Tab Delimited files?

Is there anything we can do in a text editor to fix this from the actual tab delimited file after we save it out from XLS?

Thanks again,

Tricia

[MarkB]

Hi Tricia,

I had similar problems when I started uploading my database (last week). I found adding a "junk" column as suggeste earlier worked. But then I had the problem again with a different file. When you try to upload your database, click on the link that matches your file to shopsites field definitions.

In my case, I had the 1st column as a bunch of #'s (counting # of products) and ShopSite was ignoring this column which was offsetting everything else. I renamed this column as "junk" also, then shopsite correctl identified it and matches it to "ignore".

By my own trial and error with Excel and tab delimited files, the very first colum and very last column MUST have data in them. Otherwise Excel doesn't export the file correctly.

I'm also using Excel 2002.

Mark

[tricianeill]

Thanks for the heads up, Mark.

Our first column is the #Name field - which contains a name of every product in it - there are no empty fields.

I'm going to insert a junk column before it and see if that helps.

I really appreciate your thoughts on this - if you have any other hints on how to work in XCL when doing these databases, please send them - we are new at using XCEL for shopsite...

Thanks again for all of your help!! I really appreciate it!

Tricia

[psldesigns]

I have also seen this problem but found it was caused by a carriage return within a cell. If the info in the cell was copied from say word or an email, then the cell can actually appear to have carriage returns. This inserts extra tabs. Once I removed this "empty space" within the cell, it fixed the upload.

[beley]

I'm having the same problem and I think it's being caused by a carriage return within the "Option Menu Text" field.

The problem is, how do we get the text in the option menu text field without carriage returns? Can we use pipes in there instead of a carriage return?

[psldesigns]

I use Excel for my data. I just delete the space within the cell in question. You must do it manually, but usually my spreadsheets have the same data in that column for like products so I can then just copy. Save it as a tab delimited text file and it uploads fine.

[beley]

Yeah, it was the returns... I changed all the returns to pipes (|) and it worked fine. Also had to add a junk field at the end of the db.