Excel to TSV (Tab-Separated Values) conversion is the process of converting an Excel file (in .xlsx or .xls format) into a TSV file, which stores data in plain text with values separated by tabs instead of commas. Like CSV, TSV is used to store tabular data but uses tabs to delimit fields.
Why Convert Excel to TSV?
Compatibility: TSV files are commonly used in data processing, programming, and database import/export tasks. Some tools and software prefer TSV over CSV.
Readability: TSV files are often easier to read than CSV when dealing with data that may contain commas within the values, as tabs are less likely to be part of the data.
Data Integrity: If your data contains commas or other special characters, using tabs as separators ensures that the values are not misinterpreted.
How to Convert Excel to TSV
There are different methods for converting Excel to TSV, including using Microsoft Excel, Python, Google Sheets, and online tools. Below are some methods you can use.
1. Using Microsoft Excel to Convert to TSV
Microsoft Excel allows you to easily save a file in TSV (Tab-delimited) format.
Steps:
Open the Excel file you want to convert.
Go to the File menu and click Save As.
Choose a location where you want to save the TSV file.
From the Save as type dropdown, select Text (Tab delimited) (*.txt).
Click Save.
Note: Excel will automatically save the file as a TSV (Tab-separated) file, but it will have the .txt extension. This format can be opened in text editors or imported into other software that supports TSV.
If prompted about features that are not compatible with the tab-delimited format, click Yes to continue.
2. Using Google Sheets to Convert to TSV
Google Sheets can also be used to convert an Excel file to TSV format.
Steps:
Upload your Excel file to Google Drive.
Open the file in Google Sheets.
Go to File > Download > Tab-separated values (.tsv, current sheet).
The TSV file will be downloaded to your computer.
Note: Google Sheets will only save the currently active sheet as a TSV file, so if you have multiple sheets, you will need to export them individually.
3. Using Python to Convert Excel to TSV
For programmatic conversion, you can use Python and the pandas library to convert an Excel file to a TSV file.
Steps:
Install the pandas library if you don't have it already:
bash
pip install pandas openpyxl
Python Code Example:
python
import pandas as pd
# Path to the Excel file
excel_file = 'your_excel_file.xlsx'
# Read the Excel file
df = pd.read_excel(excel_file)
# Save the Excel file as a TSV file
df.to_csv('output.tsv', sep='\t', index=False)
How It Works:
pandas.read_excel(): Reads the Excel file and loads the data into a DataFrame.
df.to_csv(): Converts the DataFrame into a TSV file, with sep='\t' specifying that tabs should be used as the delimiter. The index=False argument is used to avoid saving the row indices.
4. Using Online Tools to Convert Excel to TSV
You can also use online tools to convert Excel files to TSV format without installing any software.
Some popular online tools include:
Zamzar: An online file converter that supports Excel to TSV conversion.
Convertio: Another online converter that allows you to convert Excel to TSV.
Online2PDF: Lets you convert Excel to various formats, including TSV.
Steps:
Go to an online converter tool.
Upload your Excel file.
Choose TSV as the output format.
Click Convert and download the resulting TSV file.
5. Using Command-Line Tools (Linux)
If you're using Linux or a command-line environment, you can use ssconvert (from the Gnumeric spreadsheet software) to convert Excel files to TSV.
Steps:
Install gnumeric (if not already installed):
bash
sudo apt-get install gnumeric
Convert the Excel file to TSV using ssconvert:
bash
ssconvert your_excel_file.xlsx output.tsv
Conclusion
Converting Excel to TSV can be done in several ways depending on your preference:
Use Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets for quick manual conversions.
Use Python and pandas for automated or programmatic conversions.
Use online tools for a simple, no-software solution.
Linux users can take advantage of command-line tools like ssconvert.