Help with a POI File (3rd & 4th csv columns)

Send a few lines of the POI file (or the whole file if you want) and I'll have a look at it. With nothing more to go on, it appears you have more than 4 fields; i.e. you have commas and/or CR/LF not enclosed in quotes.

RT

Keep in mind my address list was a personal project.

Now to help you, have you double checked to see if you accidentally placed the contents that belong in column 4 into column 3? Also, check if those names that do appear in bold lettering have something different in the file, Such as more information in column 4 compare to those showing up correctly.

Since the csv file is a 'comma delimited' file, anytime you have a comma not enclosed in quotes you create a new field.

Use Notepad (Excel will sometimes format the file in a way you don't want!). It should look like this:

-73.17417,40.38065,"Surname, First Name","phone number, address"

You can seperate the phone number and address by a CR/LF if you want, but it must be enclosed in quotes.

You may want to try POI Verifier. It will find a lot of errors.

RT

Hey Retiredtechnician

I read my csv file with Notepad and everything seems to be exactly as it should be. I don't mind sending you a copy of the file with an indication of which ones combine column 3 and some of column 4. Maybe you have better eyes than mine!!

How do I attach a file to a message to you?

Jean

I sent you an email with my email address that will accept attachments.

RT

To keep everyone informed, we have not been able to find the solution to the problem I described at the top of this topic.

I have also noticed the same behavior with many of the Custom POIs I have downloaded from this site (but not from the POIs supplied by Garmin). Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a pattern that we can easily identify.

Does it happen only with the C530?

Maybe it is a bug with the latest version of POI Loader?

We will keep investigating!

Jean

Since her POI file is formatted correctly and it displays correctly on the nuvi350, the problem may lie with the C530, or its compatibility with POI Loader. I noticed Garmin's disclaimer in POI Loader, "Garmin POI Loader allows you to retrieve Custom Points of Interest (POIs) from data files (.csv and .gpx) and install them into your compatible Garmin GPS device or onto a storage card." Are the C530 and POI Loader 100% compatible? Any other C530 users have this problem?

RT

Is this the effect you are seeing?

If so, it's triggered by the length of the name (col 3 in your case). It definitely affects the C5xx and Nüvi 2xx series. It doesn't affect the Nüvi 3xx series - not sure about the Nüvi 6xx.

See this thread

Yes, this is exactly the problem I have. I didn't remember seeing this thread.

However, compatibility with the POI Loader for the C530 may also be a problem. Interestingly enough, when I go to the Garmin site POI Loader page (http://www8.garmin.com/products/poiloader/), there is a "Product Compatibility" box on the right-hand side. And guess what: the C530 is NOT listed!!!

Now I know there are 2 restrictions with the C530:
1. Not compatible with the POI Loader
2. Only 1 GB of memory which is not enough to have the full 2008 Map updates and probably any future updates.

I love my C530 but I would have liked to know about those restrictions before I purchased.

Thanks everybody for your help

Jean

This is my last posting on this!

Since it is raining here in Ottawa, I had time to do further analysis. It seems that the following field lengths in column 3 will cause the problem I described at the beginning of this thread: 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27. The number of characters includes all blanks imbedded in the field. As mentioned before in a separate thread, adding blanks at the end of the field doesn't help.

Now we all know!!!

Isn't it great to be retired!!!

Jean

Slightly strange that - the C510 is listed - and AFAIK, the only difference between the two, is the amount of memory.

(The C510/530/550 & C580 all run the same firmware).

Hey bud,

I don't want to give you extra work. But can you try one more thing? Can you try to add a period directly after the name in column 3?
Hornbyp once asked a member to try it and it cleared a similar problem.

Thanks!

Hi Bandaid

Just tried the test you wanted me to do - No Go. If the field was 7, 11, 15, etc. and I add a period to make it one character longer, I don't have the problem. However, if the field that is 7, 11, 15, 19, etc. ends with a period, I still have the same problem. Therefore the period only works if it makes the field length something other than 7, 11, 15, 19, 23 or 27.

Go figure!!

Should this be reported to Garmin???

Jean

I appreciate you taking the extra step in adding the period. It helps to rule out everything possible with the amount of knowledge we can assemble here.

Reporting the problem might help, especially if might have something to do with the firmware or software.

Good luck bud.