As you know, comma delimited files created by programs such as Peachtree or Quickbooks cannot usually be transferred successfully into Excel or Access, because users often use commas and quotes while entering descriptions into transactions.

This program, CleanCSV, cleans extra commas and quotes from comma delimited files (CSV or CDF files) . It reads each row of the file you select, and begins reading characters one at a time. It remembers when it encounters a quote, and if it runs into a comma before the endquote, it deletes it. It also knows when it is within the quotes, and does not allow any more quotes unless they are followed by a comma.

Of course it is still possible to have a screwed up datafile which cannot be imported to Excel or Access. If the original data contains a Comma-Quote pair, you're out of luck-- this program will regard that as the end of a field.

However, it will tell you if the total fields don't add up or something is impossible to analyze.

This program was so easy to write, that one can only conclude that large software companies such as Microsoft do not want you to successfully transfer data between various software using any open, standard method such as a CSV file. They would rather cripple it, so that you will give up on transferring data to or from other vendors' products.

How to export your entire Quickbooks to Excel:

Create a Transactions-by-account report with these fields:

• Trans #
• Account
• Type
• Date
• Num
• Name
• Memo
• Amount

When you print, choose the Print-to-File and choose file type "Excel".

Give the file any name ending with ".csv"

For some companies, you can immediately open this file in Excel-- however, for most companies, there will be a comma or quote someplace in the data, it won't import correctly to Excel.

Run the CSV Clean file to eliminate commas and quotes. Then doubleclick the file and it will import into Excel. The total of debits should equal credits. If you're using numbered accounts, the total of all accounts in the P&L Accounts range will equal your P&L in Quickbooks.

You will need the VB6 Runtime DLL to use this program --sorry, its a 1-meg download.

Good luck.