Garmin csv format?

Column 1 is "longitude"
Column 2 is "latitude"
Column 3 is "name and/or info"
Column 4 is typically "info"

data in columns 3 & 4 can be separated by commas

save as .csv file

But the csv files I have downloaded are all using only col A. For ex. A1, A2 etc. First longitude comma, latitude comma, name comma. They are not arranged in columns! English not my native lang.!

I think what you are calling columns actually are date written in one column, namely column A, cell A1. In A1, the data are separated by commas! Or am I wrong?

a csv is comma separated value

w,x,y,z

cell 1 is data before 1st comma W
cell 2 after first and before third X

and so forth.

If you are looking in notepad, then that is what you will see.

If in excel, you will not see the commas, but just the cell that has the data. Read the rows, A1, A2, A3 & A4 for what you want.

Daniel

Thats what I mean! I was just opposing to the term columns. Everything goes on in column A.

in excell, you will get all the 4 comma seperated values installing in column 1 if you try to first load excell and then load the file. Everything will be in column one.

You have to make sure that when you load the file, you are specifying that it is a csv file. Then it will load in all four columns.

The easiest way to load it, is to just double click on the csv file and the computer will then load excell and put everything in the 4 columns properly.

I've noticed your problem before also.

PS, no problem with your english. I wish I could speak that well in other languages!

Thanks a lot!

You've gotten some good answers but I'm afraid that you are still a little confused. The Garmin CSV file is a standard text file with commas separating the data entries. Excel can both load and save spreadsheets as Comma Separated Values files (.csv). Garmin is looking for a certain format for CSV files as follows:

Column 1 - Longitude (A1)
Column 2 - Latitude (A2)
Column 3 - Entry name (A3)
Column 4 - Additional information (A4)
Column 5 - Additional information (A5)

Columns run vertically and Rows run horizontally. One row of data displayed in Notepad would look like this:

-84.45678,41.1234,MySpeedCamera,414 E Main St My town,890-123-4567

Garmin will display the data in columns 4 and 5 but won't use it for anything. Data in any columns higher than 5 is ignored.

I hope this helps
Jack j

'POI Loader' discards anything over 4 fields, as do many other programs including 'POI Verifier/II'. As my signature says, "VERIFY" ... see the help section of 'POI Loader' for the correct Garmin format.

The following are examples of Custom POIs in the proper format (from 'POI Loader'):
-94.81549,38.80390,Bonita
-94.79731,38.81099,Ridgeview@25
-94.74240,38.81952,Heritage Park,Perfect site for a picnic
-94.76416,38.81227,Garmin,"1200 E. 151st Street
Olathe,KS 66062
913/397.8300"

RT

A1 B1 C1 and D1 the next record is in A2 B2 C2 and D2
Columns have letters, rows numbers.

Has the Garmin changed? I have been under the impression that the Garmin ignored anything past column 4... (or should I say "D" to be correct in excel).. (Or I could say the 4th column from the right).. Am I incorrect? It won't be the first time...

I guess I can test it and see what is displayed and where...

That was what retiredtechnician reported in his reply .See second one up from your post.

I mean the left...

edit: Just looked at the last post, or wasn't paying attention... Now I see it...

My Nuvi 750 seems to display data from column D, but not column E. I stand corrected. Using the Speed camera file as an example:

It displays:
Redlight & Speed Camera

Alert Information:
Distance:2113ft
Speed:40mph
OH Toledo poi-factory Feb25 09

File name and speed are from data in column C, location and date are from column D.

It appears that my copy of POI loader does not discard column D data but does column E.

Sorry for the erroneous info, I'll double check myself in the future.

Jack j

Thanks for all the good advises. My basic question from the start was the use of the term "columns". Maybe some of the confusion comes from the fact that I am writing csv files directly in Excel. Excel has Rows and columns, no matter xls or csv files. The Garmin csv files do not operate with columns. This is in my understanding, a misuse of the term. The expressions:
a,b,c,d,e is a "cell" (POI),next cell e,f,g,h,i is another cell (another POI). These two POIs are placed in column A cell A1 and cell A2. a,b,c are NOT columns but comma separated values in a cell. I might be wrong! but this was the background for my question. Maybe the term columns refer to the use of the csv file as a wp in Mapsource!
But you gave me a lot of other good advises, once again thanks to all of you and may the week end be good to you!
A phantastic site for discussions!

I am not sure why you are seeing what you are seeing, but every time I have opened a csv file in Excel it has separated the values into the proper columns. It has never placed all the data for a given location into a single cell.

This is funny! But opening csv files in my Excel (probably the same Excel as you have!!), the data are placed in A1, A2 etc. Hmm... Still wish you a good week end, but what about me after your message?!

Bentbiker, are you writing your POIs in Excel, notepad or other programme?

Whether I open a csv that I create in Excel or whether I open a file downloaded from POI-Factory, I see the same thing -- data in columns.

It looks like I have a problem, I'll think ...

I am wrong again! D...! The reason for all (my!) confusion is due to the difference between the sign for separation in a list. Don't know what you call it. Our "list separator" is set to semicolon! AND it's called a comma separated file! My god. In Europe the comma is a decimal sign, in US a "." Same story as centimeters and inches. We have to agree on standards.
Have taken me (and you) some hours, apologize!
Changed my Windows/Excel setup!

That's part of the problem. You were speaking in English, we are using American. Those differences cause us to stumble quite frequently.

I think the misunderstanding comes from the terms rows, columns & cells and the language differences...

The information for the entire poi file is separated into columns and rows. Each cell contains a portion of the description of where and what is to be located by the gps.

As stated previously, in the first two columns are dedicated to the coordinates, the third column will typically contain a description, and in the forth column other information regarding the location.. These columns have the labels of A, B, C, & D when using excel.

The rows are in numerical order. i.e. 1, 2, 3, etc

The individual locations in the excel spread sheet are called cells, which are named according to the row and column they are in. Cell A1 is in column A, line 1, Cell A2 is in column A, line 2, etc

Each location is in a row

The information for a specific location i.e. a Wal-Mart or whatever is contained in one row, containing cells A, B, C & D.

The contents of cells A1 & B1 contain the coordinates for the first location i.e. Wal-Mart Store #123, the contents of C1 contain the description of the location i.e. Wal-Mart Store 123, the contents of cell D1 contain information regarding the location i.e 1234 Main St, Anywhere, Any State, 800-123 1234.

The contents of A2 & B2 & C2 & D2,contain the information for the next location... etc, etc.

{edit by JM - fixed column references as mentioned in later post}

That's a great reminder for me, and one that I bet a lot of people here in the U.S. forget or are unaware of!

Being born & raised here but working for a British company I had a hard time with finally recognizing that 1,39 could actually mean the same as 1.39

I don't want to continue the argument, but I want to tell you how I was trapped:
I have used MapSource for some years, know most of the tricks but have never made POIs before.
I went to the POIs of aophiucus and others, opened them in Excel, WITH MY DANISH setup! as explained above.
I found all the wp in col. A as described, and thought: thats the way it's gone a be! That's the way to do it.
The rest is documented above.
It's is really funny, everybody knew what a a column was, a row was, a cell was, but it was hard to get to the problem, or rather to define it.
Analysis is the toughet part of the problem. That goes for most problems inclusive car repairing!

He pointed out that I made and error in my above post "The contents of cells A1 & A2 contain the coordinates for the first location" Which of course should read: The contents of cells A1 & B1 contain the coordinates for the first location"... and "The contents of B1 & B2 & B# & B4,contain the information for the next location... etc, etc." Should have read: "The contents of A2 & B2 & C2 & D2, contain the information for the next location... etc, etc.

I don't want to cause more confusion than I already have.. Thanks bent biker...

geske I read your explanation above and it was perfectly clear..

I did not think of this "column" as an argument but a friendly discussion... Now it's time for me to get my ducks in a "row", and return to my padded "cell"...

And I to stand in awe of folks like you who have the command of several languages.. I have a tough time with one...