Why Do the Results for Some Analytes Shift to a New Column in a CSV Report?


Date: 11/10/2020
Categories: SCIEX OS , Analyst Software , MultiQuant Software

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For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.


Issue Description

When reporting results table values to a comma-separated values (CSV) report, for some analytes, the reported information is shifted from the correct column to one column over to the left. In the example shown below for the analyte, Permethrin trans-1, the last three columns are shifted. The trans- 1 part of the Permethrin name should also be listed in the Analyte Name column, rather than the Dilution Factor column; the dilution factor of 1 is in the Calculated Concentration column, and the value 98.09 has been pushed to a column without a header.

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Resolution

This column-shifting issue is observed when an analyte name contains a comma (e.g., Permethrin, trans- 1 in the example above). Because the CSV formats are comma delimited, using a comma in the analyte name will create a new column for that portion of the analyte name after the comma.  In the example above, the full analyte name for the row with the shifted column was Permethrin, trans- 1. A new column was created for trans- 1 portion of the analyte name, and hence, all fields following the column Analyte Name are shifted by one. 

To fix this issue, replace the comma in the analyte name with a space or a different character such as dash or underscore.