Open CSV file with correct data format for each column using TextFileColumnDataTypes?

Question

I am using the VBA-code below to open a csv-file in Excel (the code simulates the Data\Text to Columns - command). In the code it's necessary to specify an array for the property TextFileColumnDataTypes , which for every column in the csv-file specifies a data format (2 = text format).

However, since I don't know how many columns the csv-file will have, I would like to specify the format 2 (= text format) for ALL columns in the csv-file. The problem right now is that I can only specify the data format for a fixed number of columns (in the example below it's 3 columns).

Any help to solve that problem is highly appreciated :)

===============================================

Here is the full code I am using:

    With ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(1).QueryTables.Add(Connection:= _
        "TEXT;C:\test.csv", Destination _
        :=ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(1).Range("$A$1"))
        .name = "Query Table from Csv"
        .FieldNames = True
        .RowNumbers = False
        .FillAdjacentFormulas = False
        .PreserveFormatting = True
        .RefreshOnFileOpen = False
        .RefreshStyle = xlInsertDeleteCells
        .SavePassword = False
        .SaveData = True
        .AdjustColumnWidth = True
        .RefreshPeriod = 0
        .TextFilePromptOnRefresh = False
        .TextFilePlatform = 850
        .TextFileStartRow = 1
        .TextFileParseType = xlDelimited
        .TextFileTextQualifier = xlTextQualifierDoubleQuote
        .TextFileConsecutiveDelimiter = False
        .TextFileTabDelimiter = False
        .TextFileSemicolonDelimiter = False
        .TextFileCommaDelimiter = True
        .TextFileSpaceDelimiter = False
        .TextFileColumnDataTypes = Array(2, 2, 2)
        .TextFileDecimalSeparator = "."
        .TextFileThousandsSeparator = ","
        .TextFileTrailingMinusNumbers = True
        .Refresh BackgroundQuery:=False
        .Delete     
    End With

Answer 1

Here is one way to find the number of columns from a closed CSV without opening it in Excel.

I am assuming the following.

1) You are opening a Comma Separated File. If not then you will have to amend the code appropriately

2) Row 1 in the CSV has Headers (At least 1 header in any of the Column)

Try this (I tested it but if you get any error let us know :)

Option Explicit

Const ExlCsv As String = "C:\test.csv"

Sub Sample()
    Dim MyData As String, strData() As String, TempAr() As String
    Dim ArCol() As Long, i As Long

    '~~> Open the text file in one go
    Open ExlCsv For Binary As #1
    MyData = Space$(LOF(1))
    Get #1, , MyData
    Close #1
    strData() = Split(MyData, vbCrLf)

    '~~> Check for any empty headers and replace ",," by ","
    Do While InStr(1, strData(0), ",,") > 0
        strData(0) = Replace(strData(0), ",,", ",")
    Loop

    '~~> Split the headers to find the number of columns
    TempAr() = Split(strData(0), ",")

    '~~> Create our Array for TEXT       
    ReDim ArCol(1 To UBound(TempAr))
    For i = 1 To UBound(TempAr)
        ArCol(i) = 2
    Next i

    With ActiveSheet.QueryTables.Add(Connection:= _
        "TEXT;" & ExlCsv, Destination:=Range("$A$1") _
        )
        .Name = "Output"
        .FieldNames = True
        .RowNumbers = False
        .FillAdjacentFormulas = False
        .PreserveFormatting = True
        .RefreshOnFileOpen = False
        .RefreshStyle = xlInsertDeleteCells
        .SavePassword = False
        .SaveData = True
        .AdjustColumnWidth = True
        .RefreshPeriod = 0
        .TextFilePromptOnRefresh = False
        .TextFilePlatform = 1252
        .TextFileStartRow = 1
        .TextFileParseType = xlDelimited
        .TextFileTextQualifier = xlTextQualifierDoubleQuote
        .TextFileConsecutiveDelimiter = False
        .TextFileTabDelimiter = True
        .TextFileSemicolonDelimiter = False
        .TextFileCommaDelimiter = True
        .TextFileSpaceDelimiter = False
        .TextFileColumnDataTypes = ArCol
        .TextFileTrailingMinusNumbers = True
        .Refresh BackgroundQuery:=False
    End With
End Sub

EDIT

Alternatively, here is a much simpler method (Wondering why didn't I think of it before...)

Option Explicit

Const ExlCsv As String = "C:\test.csv"

Sub Sample()
    ActiveSheet.Cells.NumberFormat = "@"

    With ActiveSheet.QueryTables.Add(Connection:= _
        "TEXT;" & ExlCsv, Destination:=Range("$A$1") _
        )
        .Name = "Output"
        .FieldNames = True
        .RowNumbers = False
        .FillAdjacentFormulas = False
        .PreserveFormatting = True
        .RefreshOnFileOpen = False
        .RefreshStyle = xlInsertDeleteCells
        .SavePassword = False
        .SaveData = True
        .AdjustColumnWidth = True
        .RefreshPeriod = 0
        .TextFilePromptOnRefresh = False
        .TextFilePlatform = 1252
        .TextFileStartRow = 1
        .TextFileParseType = xlDelimited
        .TextFileTextQualifier = xlTextQualifierDoubleQuote
        .TextFileConsecutiveDelimiter = False
        .TextFileTabDelimiter = True
        .TextFileSemicolonDelimiter = False
        .TextFileCommaDelimiter = True
        .TextFileSpaceDelimiter = False

         '<~~ This doesn't make any difference anymore
        .TextFileColumnDataTypes = Array(2)

        .TextFileTrailingMinusNumbers = True
        .Refresh BackgroundQuery:=False
    End With
End Sub

Answer 2

The dirty way that works for me is to initialize a much larger data type array than ever needed. Surplus column data types are ignored.

Sub CSV_Import(strFile As String)
Dim ws As Worksheet
Dim colDataTypesArr(1 to 100) As Long
Dim i As Long

Set ws = Sheet1
For i = 1 To UBound(colDataTypesArr)
    colDataTypesArr(i) = 2
Next i

With ws.QueryTables.Add(Connection:="TEXT;" & strFile, Destination:=ws.Range("A1"))
     .TextFileParseType = xlDelimited
     .TextFileCommaDelimiter = True
     .TextFileTextQualifier = xlTextQualifierDoubleQuote
     .TextFileColumnDataTypes = colDataTypesArr
     .Refresh
End With
End Sub