Keep Order IDs and Decimals Intact in CSV Imports
Preserve leading zeros, long identifiers and original decimal text before spreadsheet conversion. Includes a blank import-check record.
Keep an untouched original export
An identifier can look like a number without being a quantity you should calculate. Opening an export in a spreadsheet may change long IDs, leading zeros or the displayed decimal form through automatic conversion. Keep an untouched original before reviewing the imported copy. That original gives you something concrete to compare when a value on the screen appears different.
Identify columns that represent text rather than quantities
Identify the columns whose characters must remain unchanged. Exchange order IDs, client IDs and reference codes belong in that group. Original decimal text may also matter when checking precision or an export format. A displayed rounded value and its original string are different representations. Store the original text separately rather than assuming that the display contains every digit supplied by the source.
Set the text type before import conversion
Select text handling before the software converts the values. Microsoft documents Excel's fifteen-significant-digit numeric limit and text import for long identifiers. Calc exposes explicit Text column choices with import settings that affect number recognition. Google Sheets RAW is documented for API input, so it should not be presented as a guaranteed switch in every CSV-import interface or software version.
Compare source and imported characters
Compare characters in representative columns after import. Check a long ID, a value with leading zeros and a decimal with trailing zeros. A scientific-notation display needs inspection rather than an immediate assumption of either loss or safety. Formatting an already altered number as Text cannot reconstruct digits that conversion discarded. Return to the retained original when preparing a corrected import.
Keep a separate numeric representation only when needed
The record sheet stores source text, imported text, chosen type and locale so that an import decision can be reviewed later. It contains no sample account data or formulas. If another task needs numerical calculations, keep that representation separate from the preserved identifier and decimal strings. The checklist concerns value preservation; it does not map your export into another provider's transaction schema.
Documented venue distinctions
These statements apply to the named provider and documented product. They do not imply identical rules elsewhere.
- Excel numeric precision is limited to 15 significant digits; long identifiers should be imported as Text before conversion. Official reference.
- Calc offers explicit Text column types; quotation alone and disabling special-number detection are not universal text guarantees. Official reference.
- Google Sheets API RAW preserves supplied strings, while JSON numbers remain numbers; this does not describe a CSV UI toggle. Official reference.
Hypothetical case
Hypothetical original strings: 123456789012345678, 00123 and 0.01000000. Import them into text columns and compare each character with the source before creating a separate numeric representation for another task.
Six questions for your record
- Is the original export retained?
- Which columns are identifiers?
- Are leading zeros and long IDs preserved exactly?
- Is decimal text kept separately from a displayed rounded number?
- What import type and language were selected?
- Does a character-level comparison match the source?
Keep your own record
The CSV contains column headings only. The TXT contains the review questions and blank note spaces. Keep original evidence separately, preserve identifiers as text and leave missing facts unknown. Neither file sends data or performs an account check.