Category:Files with Comma Separated Values: Difference between revisions

Cumulus software uses a number of files with a .txt extension that can be described as being in comma separated value format (CSV).

Cumulus normally simply appends new lines onto the end of these files, although there is some functionality to read them for plotting graphs and for displaying/editing extreme records.

None of the files hold a header line, although the appropriate header labelling the fields can be found in a different file. (Links to those files included in list below).

Field separator

Although these files are described as CSV format, that does not mean that the character separating one field from the next field has to be ",". In some locales, the comma character might separate the integer and decimal parts of a number, so the field separator character might be a semi-colon ";".

Editing these files

The files linked below all use plain text, so that they can be edited outside Cumulus, but there are rules about content, so be very careful about editing outside Cumulus. A "CSV editor", or a simple text editor designed for programmers, is safer to use than a spreadsheet (if you use a spreadsheet, ensure all columns are set to be "text", don't let it recognise dates, times or numbers), and you must never use a word-processor.

You may wish to edit into a data file a header line, to make life easier when editing values, but remember to remove that header line before saving the file.

The line terminator for file lines depends on the device running MX. In Microsoft Windows Operating System each line is terminated by a pair of characters (CR and LF), a UNIX-derived system (like Linux) uses just LF to end a line, and some versions of Mac Operating System use just CR to terminate each line.

If you move a file between different devices, beware the line endings might get changed (although an editor designed for programmers includes ability to select line ending).

Recent releases of MX are coded to recognise which line ending was previously used, and will maintain that even if you run an executable (CumulusMX.exe, CreateMissing.exe, or ExportToMySQL.exe) on another device.

Note for anyone using the Legacy Cumulus 1

This Wiki page was created as part of documenting Cumulus MX, and is not therefore written for you.

For Legacy Cumulus 1, only a subset of the files listed here are used. Please be aware that within those files that are used the content differs between MX and the legacy software.

Please note that descriptions of those files that are used by the legacy software, and tips, can be found in the Help file within the Cumulus 1 software, it can be read at Cumulus.chm although that help file is formatted to only open if your computer is using a Microsoft Windows Operating System.

Cumulus MX users should read this

This sub-category was created specifically for Cumulus MX. It provides links to pages that give explanations for all of the Log files with a .txt extension. If you have any files with such an extension that were created by the legacy software:

1. MX software normally ignores any data for dates before the first use of MX, please see Migrating_from_Cumulus_1_to_MX#Start_date for further advice
2. MX software creates more fields in each line of each of the files, than the fields created by Cumulus 1, please see Calculate_Missing_Values#CreateMissing.exe for further advice