1212778 - String fields turning into exponential numbers when exporting a report to CSV format from Crystal Reports

• Expotential numbers displays in MS Excel.
• When exporting a report to CSV format from Crystal Reports, that contains a database field or formula field of data type string that contains a value like: 2E158,  the string value is read as being a numeric field and returned as a exponential value like: 2.00E+158 in MS Excel.
• How can you export a report to CSV format without having a string field being converted to a numeric field and thus displaying the value incorrectly as an exponential value?

• SAP Crystal Rpeorts 2013
• SAP Crystal Reports 2016
• SAP Crystal Reports 2020

1. In Crystal Reports, create a report based on any data source.
2. Insert a sting field on the report that contain values like: 2E158
3. Export the report to CSV format.
4. When opening the exported file in MS Excel, notice the column displays the value differently than on the report. It is now converted to a scientifical value, instead of a string.
          
   For example: If the string value on the report is: 2E158, then when exported to MS Excel it is converted to a numerical exponential value like: 2.00E+158

• Crystal Reports generates a CSV file. A CSV file does not contains information on the data type of each field. The values displays differently when the CSV file is open in MS Excel because MS Excel interprete a value in that format to be a scientifical number. It is not a Crystal Reports issue, but it is how MS Excel interprete the data.

• In MS Excel, format the column to display the information as Text, instead of the default Scientific notation MS Excel set it to when opening the CSV file.

CSV COMMA SEPARATED VALUES EXPORT EXPONENTIAL STRING EXPORTING Seagate Crystal Reports exporting to CSV returning exponential values , c2008338, CR , KBA , BI-RA-CR , Crystal Reports designer or Business View Manager , Problem

SAP Crystal Reports 2013 ; SAP Crystal Reports 2016 ; SAP Crystal Reports 2020