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WPS Spreadsheet desktop (documented interface; build unverified) · Import and data cleanup · Beginner

Fix a CSV that opens in one column in WPS Spreadsheet

Re-import CSV data with an explicit delimiter and encoding, then check the parsed fields before saving.

Official-documentation reviewed; sample data independently checked; not tested in WPS Spreadsheet · Editorial standards

Quick answer: Re-import the original CSV with the delimiter that actually separates its fields. Widening column A or changing its number format cannot split a record into columns. Keep the untouched original so a failed import does not become your only copy.

A small practice file

Download semicolon CSV practice data. It is UTF-8 text with three records, four columns and a header row. Its fields are Code, City, Note, Quantity. The first record contains 0017, Montréal, Fragile; keep dry, and 2. The semicolon inside the quoted note belongs to the note, not to a new column.

Open a copy in a plain-text editor first. Check the separators and quotation marks, rather than relying on the .csv extension. This sample needs semicolon separation, UTF-8 decoding and double quotes as the text qualifier. It is not a fixed-width file.

Import into a clean sheet

  1. Start with a blank worksheet and select A1. WPS’s Windows guide gives Data → Get Data → Import Data. An Academy interface instead uses Menu → Data → Import External Data → Import Data. Use the route present in your installation.
  2. Choose Open data file directly, then Select Data Source, and select the downloaded file.
  3. Set the encoding so the preview reads Montréal and Zürich correctly. For this UTF-8 fixture, select UTF-8 when offered; do not accept garbled text merely because columns look correct.
  4. Choose Delimited in the text wizard. Set semicolon as the separator and, if offered, double quote as the text qualifier. Inspect the preview: exactly four fields should appear on every record. A comma or space is not a separator for this fixture.
  5. At the column-format stage, keep Code as Text if that option is available. Do not finish with numeric conversion of identifiers. If you cannot control that conversion, cancel and use the manual Text-entry practice in the ID preservation guide.
  6. Confirm A1 as the destination and finish. Check the cells below before saving a separate workbook copy.

The Windows import guide documents the first route, text encoding/delimiter choices and lists file import as Free. The Academy wizard guide documents the alternative route, preview and column-format stage. Neither supplies an exact numeric build for these steps.

Check parsing separately from display

Expected occupied range: A1:D4. A2 should be 0017; B2 should be Montréal; C2 should be the single value Fragile; keep dry; D2 should be 2. The other quantities are 3 and 5, for a total of 10. B3 is Zürich, and C3 is Contains, comma. That comma must stay inside its note.

Select C2 and inspect the input/formula bar if the note is visually clipped. Text spilling across blank cells is not proof of extra columns. Conversely, a record with literal semicolons all inside A2 is still unsplit even if it looks tidy. LEN can check A2: =LEN(A2) should return 4, though length alone does not prove the characters are correct.

If the preview is still wrong

  • One field per record: check that Delimited is selected and the actual separator is enabled.
  • Five fields in the first record: the quoted semicolon was split incorrectly. Correct the qualifier handling before continuing.
  • Accented characters damaged: change decoding, not the font or column width.
  • Missing zeros: reopen the original and prevent numeric conversion; later formatting cannot establish the original ID.
  • Import command fails before the preview: WPS’s Windows introduction lists the ACCESS data engine as a requirement. Check the supported component with your administrator; do not install an unknown converter to repair a delimiter problem.

CSV stores characters, not worksheet cell types. Reopening the same file through a different path can convert it differently. Keep a workbook copy for your checked result and repeat the import checks when exchanging CSVs.

Version and testing scope

These steps follow the WPS desktop documentation linked below. No exact installed build was available: this guide was not tested in WPS Spreadsheet, and no application screenshots or native results are claimed. The sources do not establish equivalent Android or Web controls; do not use these desktop menu paths as mobile or browser instructions. Unless specifically identified below, free-versus-paid edition availability is unverified.