xls2csv(1)

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version 0.95 · 2 versions
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🌸 xls2csv(1) — the manual, bestie edition 🌸

okay so this is xls2csv(1) from the General Commands Manual, and it's literally about turning your MS-Excel spreadsheets into comma-separated data. no cap. let's go. 💅

✨ NAME ✨

xls2csv — reads MS-Excel file and puts its content as comma-separated data on standard output. periodt. 🫶

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

xls2csv [-xlV] [-f  format ] [-b  string ] [-s  charset ] [-d  charset ]
[-q  number ] [-c  char] files

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

xls2csv reads an MS-Excel spreadsheet and dumps its content as comma-separated values to stdout. Numbers are printed without delimiters, strings are enclosed in the double quotes. Double-quotes inside string are doubled. it's giving csv realness. ✨

✨ OPTIONS ✨

  • -x — print unknown Unicode chars as \xNNNN, rather than as question marks. so if you see weird symbols, this is the glow-up. 💅
  • -l — list known charsets and exit successfully. iconic behaviour, honestly. 👑
  • -cchar — cell separator char. By default - comma. so you can swap that comma for whatever your heart desires. 🎀
  • -bstring — sheet break string. This string (by default - formfeed) would be output at the end of each workbook page. This string is printed after page starting at start of line, but no linefeed would be automatically added at the end of string. Include newline at the ent of sheet separator if you want it to appear on separate line by itself. (yes bestie, ent is a whole mood, but that's what it says.) 🦋
  • -gnumber — number of decimal digits in the numbers. By default maximal double precision (system-dependent macro DBL_DIG) is used. so like, how many digits after the dot? you decide. ✨
  • -qnumber — set quote mode. In quote mode 0 cell contents is never quoted. In quote mode 1 only strings which contain spaces, double quotes or commas are quoted. In quote mode 2 (default) all cells with type string are quoted. In quote mode 3 all cells are quoted. quote mode is the vibe check for your cells. 💖
  • -dcharset — specifies destination charset name. Charset file has format described in CHARACTER SETS section of catdoc(1) manual page. By default, current locale charset would be used if langinfo support was enabled at the compile time. destination charset? slay. 🌈
  • -scharset — specifies source charset. Typically, Excel files have CODE PAGE record, which denotes input charset, but for some reason you may wish to override it. source charset said "not me being overridden." 😭
  • -fformat — specifies date/time format to use for output of all Excel date and time values. If this option is not specified, format, specified in the spreadsheet is used. On POSIX system any format, allowed by strftime(3) can be used as value of this option. Under MS-DOS xls2csv implements limited set of strftime formats, namely m, d, y, Y, b, l, p, H, M, S. date format? we love a customizable moment. 🍓
  • -V — outputs version number. short, sweet, and to the point. 💜

✨ FILES ✨

${HOME}/.catdocrc, catdoc charset files and substitution map files (see catdoc(1) manual page for details,

that trailing comma and open paren? yeah, it's canon. don't ask. 🙈

✨ SEE ALSO ✨

cat(1), catdoc(1), catppt(1), strings(1), utf(4), unicode(4)

✨ AUTHOR ✨

V.B.Wagner <vitus@45.free.net>, based on biffview by David Rysdam

and that's the whole thing, bestie. this page came from the MS-Word reader, Version @catdoc_version@, xls2csv(1) — so go forth and convert those spreadsheets like the main character you are. 💅✨

📦 where this page comes from