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Reporting service to export CSV

  • January 6, 2009 at 6:23 am

    #126333

    Hi,

    I am using SSRS to create a report. When this report is exported to a CSV file, it must make all columns the same width.

    So I am looking at creating a fixed-width column CSV file. I have created all the columns in the design view with the same width in centimeters - but this of course has not affect in a CSV's column widhts.

    How can I do this?

  • January 6, 2009 at 7:01 am

    #921746

    CSV files take no account of column width. This cannot be done. Are you talking about a fixed-width file?

    Have you posted in the wrong forum, by any chance?

    The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence
    - Martin Rees
    The absence of consumable DDL, sample data and desired results is, however, evidence of the absence of my response
    - Phil Parkin

  • January 6, 2009 at 7:09 am

    #921756

    hmmm I have been getting that response from most people - that it can't be done.

    I am definitely talking about fixed-width: as in all the columns must be of equal length.

    So when you open the file in Notepad it will look something like this: (each column being 10 chars in width)

    abc ,12345 ,a1b2c3d4e5

    adhffg ,9876 ,kjkdkd

    asdfoplk ,84749 ,jjhtkjfll

    I have seen reports exported in this way before - that is why i am convinced there must be a way

  • January 6, 2009 at 8:22 am

    #921819

    To do this, you would actually have to pad the data with trailing spaces. SSRS will allow you to include the trailing spaces in the data and it will export it when you generate a csv file.

    This requirement is - weird. CSV files (or any delimited files) are not supposed to care about the width of the columns by design. This is actually one of the benefits over using a fixed width file. What is causing you to come to the conclusion that this is a requirement?

  • January 6, 2009 at 11:14 pm

    #922327

    Thank you - trailing spaces will have to be my option then.

    I received this request from a client of ours and he (not being too IT literate) specifically asked for such a CSV and gave me an example of what he wants it to look like.

    The aligned commas (for each col having the same length) was a specific request from him.

    I agree with you that this request is, to say the least, WEIRD.

    Thanks for your help 🙂

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