How to use DataForge - Text Data Reader

This guide walks you through the three main steps: upload your file, adjust the preview, and export clean, ready-to-use outputs.

• Drop a CSV, TSV, or plain text file into the upload area or click to browse.
• DataForge analyzes the first part of your file to detect encoding and delimiter.
• Use the sample file if you want to see how things work without uploading your own data.

• Choose the correct encoding if your characters look broken or garbled.
• Pick the delimiter (comma, semicolon, tab, etc.) that matches your data.
• Optionally set a text qualifier (like quotes) for fields that contain commas or line breaks.
• Confirm that the header row and columns look correct in the preview table.
• Use Auto-detect column types if you want numbers, dates, and booleans to be exported as real Excel types (instead of text).
• Convert "=..." to formula is off by default for safety. Turn it on only if you trust the data source and want Excel formulas; otherwise values are exported as text.

• Choose how many rows you want per output file to keep Excel responsive.
• Start the conversion and watch the progress bar as your files are processed.
• Download the generated files from the results list once they appear (files show up only after they are fully created).
• If multiple output files are generated, you can also download _all_files.zip to get everything in one archive.
• You can also use Data Manager to access results from recent sessions and delete server copies later.
• Use the "Delete files" action when you are done to remove temporary outputs from the server.

FAQ

What file sizes work best?

DataForge is designed for large files, but extremely big inputs can still be limited by your network and browser. If you run into issues, try splitting the source file and using chunked exports.

What encodings are supported?

Common encodings like UTF-8 and legacy code pages are supported. If characters look wrong, try switching the encoding in Step 2 until the preview looks correct.

Does my data stay private?

Files are processed only to provide the service. You can delete temporary outputs after downloading your results, and files are automatically removed within 24 hours.

What if my file has no header row?

You can still process the file. The preview will show generic column names; after export you can rename columns in your spreadsheet tool.

What does Auto-detect column types do?

When enabled, DataForge will try to export each column as a real Excel type (numbers, dates, booleans) instead of plain text. This makes sorting, filtering, and formulas work more naturally in Excel. If you need to preserve exact text values (for example IDs with leading zeros like 00123), keep it off.

Why is Convert "=..." to formula off by default?

Spreadsheet formulas can be a security risk if they come from untrusted sources. By default DataForge exports values starting with "=" as text to help prevent formula injection. Enable it only for trusted input files.

Why don’t download links appear immediately?

Large exports can take time. To avoid broken downloads, files appear in the results list only after they are fully written and ready to download.