How to create a separate CSV file from VBA? - vba

Question

I need to output some results as a .csv file, that gets parsed later on by another process. In order to produce these results, I have a huge workbook containing all the macros and functions that I need.
Is it possible to "create" a separate .csv file from VBA?
Is it possible to use VBA features to write into it instead of just writing in a "raw textual" approach?

Answer 1

Is something like this what you want?
Option Explicit
Sub WriteFile()
Dim ColNum As Integer
Dim Line As String
Dim LineValues() As Variant
Dim OutputFileNum As Integer
Dim PathName As String
Dim RowNum As Integer
Dim SheetValues() As Variant
PathName = Application.ActiveWorkbook.Path
OutputFileNum = FreeFile
Open PathName & "\Test.csv" For Output Lock Write As #OutputFileNum
Print #OutputFileNum, "Field1" & "," & "Field2"
SheetValues = Sheets("Sheet1").Range("A1:H9").Value
ReDim LineValues(1 To 8)
For RowNum = 1 To 9
For ColNum = 1 To 8
LineValues(ColNum) = SheetValues(RowNum, ColNum)
Next
Line = Join(LineValues, ",")
Print #OutputFileNum, Line
Next
Close OutputFileNum
End Sub
Don't forget you will need to put quotes around any field containing a comma.

Answer 2

Tony's answer generally works but doesn't handle the case where your text contains commas or quotes. You may prefer to use Workbook.SaveAs method.
Here is an example if you want to save the content of the Sheet1 as a separated csv file.
Sub create_csv()
Dim FileName As String
Dim PathName As String
Dim ws As Worksheet
Set ws = ActiveWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet1")
FileName = "filename.csv"
PathName = Application.ActiveWorkbook.Path
ws.Copy
ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs FileName:=PathName & "\" & FileName, _
FileFormat:=xlCSV, CreateBackup:=False
End Sub
Imagine that your Sheet1 contains :
lorem ipsum
lore,m ips"um"
The output csv file will be :
lorem,ipsum
"lore,m","ips""um"""

Answer 3

You may write a macro like to save the current workbook (opened excel file) in CSV from VBA:
ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs Filename:="C:\Book1.csv", _
FileFormat:=xlCSVMSDOS, CreateBackup:=False

Answer 4

For those writing the CSV manually, you need to handle commas, double quotes and new lines.
e.g.
Sub WriteToCsv(Items() as String)
OutFile = FreeFile
Open "Outfile.csv" For Output As #OutFile
Print #OutFile, "Header"
For Each Item In Items
If InStr(1, Item, Chr(34)) > 0 Then Item = Chr(34) & Replace(Item, Chr(34), Chr(34) & Chr(34)) & Chr(34)
If InStr(1, Item, ",") > 0 And Left(Item, 1) <> Chr(34) Then Item = Chr(34) & Item & Chr(34)
If InStr(1, Item, vbLf) > 0 And Left(Item, 1) <> Chr(34) Then Item = Chr(34) & Item & Chr(34)
Print #OutFile, Item
Next
Close OutFile
End Sub

Answer 5

Took your code as a basis (THANKS!!!) but had to modify it to make it work.
It didn't handle multiple rows, all cells were put after each other.
2 loops: one to go through the rows and one to go through the cells of each row.
Each time the row loop starts the temporary string is emptied. Before starting a new row, the temp string is added to the Outfile.
Sub ToCsv()
Dim rng As Range
Dim row As Range
Dim cell As Range
Dim ItemNew As String
Set rng = Range("A1:E2") 'Adjust the range accordingly
OutFile = FreeFile
Open "Outfile.csv" For Output As #OutFile
'Print #OutFile, "Header"
For Each row In rng.Rows
ItemNew = ""
For Each Item In row.Cells
If InStr(1, Item, Chr(34)) > 0 Then Item = Chr(34) & Replace(Item, Chr(34), Chr(34) & Chr(34)) & Chr(34)
If InStr(1, Item, ",") > 0 And Left(Item, 1) <> Chr(34) Then Item = Chr(34) & Item & Chr(34)
If InStr(1, Item, vbLf) > 0 And Left(Item, 1) <> Chr(34) Then Item = Chr(34) & Item & Chr(34)
If ItemNew = "" Then
ItemNew = Item
Else
ItemNew = ItemNew & "," & Item
End If
Next
Print #OutFile, ItemNew
Next
Close OutFile
End Sub