Importing CSVs
mXrap primarily collects the data it uses from .csv files. These are plain text files which contain Comma-Separated Values which represent data tables.
CSVs are a simple, lightweight, portable and open data format which makes them ideal for moving data between software packages without the complexities of connecting to a database.
Storing comma-delimited data in the style of the CSV first started with the IBM FORTRAN compiler in 1972. The format was designed to be easier and less error-prone to manually type into punchcards than fixed-space tables.
Excel compatibility
For most people, opening a CSV will summon Microsoft Excel to do so. This is a sensible default for most purposes, as Excel excels at displaying tabulated data in a human-readable way. Unfortunately for mXrap, Excel has its own way of interpreting and saving Date values. This means that opening and saving a CSV used by mXrap in Excel will break any Date data, which will give you this error:
Problem
When you open the 'Blasts.csv' in MS Excel, it automatically changes the date format and mXrap is no longer able to read the blast information
Solution
Prior to saving the new file, format the Date column to match the input required for your root:
yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss.0
This is the typical input format, but you may have to modify slightly in order to match the format for your specific root.
This can be done by selecting the Date column, right clicking, and opening 'Format Cells'. Choose the 'Custom' category, and manually enter the input format for your root
To see your changes, save the file and 'Reload Data' in mXrap.
