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There are several file formats available for downloading Detailed Tables data. The format you choose depends upon what software you're using to display or manipulate the downloaded data.
The presentation formats preserve the title, head note, and footnote(s) as displayed on the screen.
The database compatible formats download only the data rows and transpose the rows and columns, displaying a row for each selected geography.
The following presentation formats display the selected geographies across the top as columns. The corresponding transpose rows and columns options display the geographies as rows.
- Comma delimited (.csv) - Cells of data are separated by commas. This format is compatible with spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel.
Example:
- Tab delimited (.lst) - Cells of data are separated by tab characters.
Example:
- Rich text file format (.rtf) - This format is compatible with many word processing applications. If your browser recognizes the .rtf format, it will open the downloaded file automatically in the browser's window. Use File | Save As from the menu to save the rtf file to your computer.
Example:
- Microsoft Excel (.xls) - Compatible with Excel and many other spreadsheet programs.
Note that this format is not available (the radio button is grayed out) if :
- more than 25 tables have been selected
- more than 10 geographies have been selected
- for ACS data sets displaying upper and lower bounds or margin of error, more than 3 geographies have been selected
Example:
If you have more than 10 geographies or 25 tables selected, the display only the tables and geographies on the screen option is shown. If you check this option, only the geographies and tables currently shown on the screen will be downloaded. This option only applies to the presentation formats listed above.
The data base ready formats download only the data rows. The table format, title, head note, and footnote(s) are excluded from the download. Use these formats if you're loading the downloaded data into a data base application.
- Microsoft Excel (.xls) - Format compatible with Microsoft Excel and other spreadsheet and database applications.
Example:
- Comma delimited (.txt) - Cells of data are separated by commas.
Example:
- Pipe delimited (.txt)
- Cells of data are separated by pipes (the ' | ' symbol).
Example:
Data base ready download files are compressed into one file named output.zip. The compressed file contains:
- One or more data file(s) - The naming format and number of these files will vary by data set and the number of tables you have selected.
- One geographic identifier file - this file allows you to link multiple data files.
- One dt_readme.txt file - this file explains the naming and content of the downloaded files and how to link them together.
- An optional data set specific readme.txt file - this file explains any data set specific anomalies and the location of the data set specific technical documentation.
You can include the long descriptive name by checking the include descriptive data element names checkbox. Each data element of each table has a short cryptic name and a long descriptive name. For example:
- Short cryptic name: P001001 where P001 is the table number and 001 is the data element number in that table.
- Long descriptive name: Total population: Total.
TIPS for using the database ready format:
- You may save output.zip as named or create your own name.
- Be sure to consult the dt_readme.txt file for explanations of all file types and how to link them together.
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