# changing the export delimiter
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/changing-the-export-delimiter/13795
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [August 24, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/changing-the-export-delimiter/13795 "2012-08-24T17:47:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@aferdman](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/aferdman)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/changing-the-export-delimiter/13795/1 "2012-08-24T17:47:13Z")
Hello,
First thanks for a great product. I wish to replace the semi colon with another character. Say the '+' symbol. Some of my album titles seem to have the ; character within them and this leads to a mixed up output file when I import into Excel. I have deduced that I might be able to edit the script file. But would welcome some guidance. I'm an electronics engineer, less a programmer today. Thanks in advance for your help.
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/changing-the-export-delimiter/13795/2 "2012-08-24T18:15:12Z")
> [@bayard1](#):
>
> .. Some of my album titles seem to have the ; character within them and this leads to a mixed up output file when I import into Excel...
Excel allows to import data sets that include a semicolon if it has been marked as a string. A string is encapsulated in inverted commas: "
So if you modify your export script in such a way that you enclose the fields that might have semicolons in them in " then you are clean.
E.g., the (almost) standard csv-export-script looks like this:
```
$filename(csv,utf-16)Titel;Interpret;Album;Track;Jahr;Länge;Größe;Geändert;Pfad;Dateiname;
$loop(%_filename_ext%)%title%;%artist%;%album%;%track%;%year%;%_length_seconds%;%_file_size%;%_file
_mod_date%;%_folderpath%;%_filename_ext%;
$loopend()
```
If you think that you will have trouble in title, then modify the text like this:
```
$filename(csv,utf-16)Titel;Interpret;Album;Track;Jahr;Länge;Größe;Geändert;Pfad;Dateiname;
$loop(%_filename_ext%)"%title%";%artist%;%album%;%track%;%year%;%_length_seconds%;%_file_size%;%_file
_mod_date%;%_folderpath%;%_filename_ext%;
$loopend()
```
Please note the opening " and closing " around %title%.
Modify all the fields you need (e.g. ARTIST, ALBUM)
---
### Author:  [@HansBKK](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/HansBKK)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2012, 6:34am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/changing-the-export-delimiter/13795/3 "2012-08-25T06:34:43Z")
I highly recommend the "global export" addon [Mp3tagCompleteTags](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/9520/1).
Many great additional benefits, but in your case I'll just mention it uses a special Unicode "x" character as a delimiter.
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2012, 6:46am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/changing-the-export-delimiter/13795/4 "2012-08-25T06:46:15Z")
> [@bayard1](#):
>
> ... I wish to replace the semi colon with another character. Say the '+' symbol. Some of my album titles seem to have the ; character within them and this leads to a mixed up output file when I import into Excel. ...
Read there about the CSV file format ...
[http://www.creativyst.com/Doc/Articles/CSV/CSV01.htm](http://www.creativyst.com/Doc/Articles/CSV/CSV01.htm)
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma-separated\_values](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma-separated_values)
[http://csved.sjfrancke.nl/](http://csved.sjfrancke.nl/)
DD.20120825.1045.CEST
---
### Author:  [@aferdman](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/aferdman)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2012, 8:30am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/changing-the-export-delimiter/13795/5 "2012-08-25T08:30:14Z")
QUOTE (ohrenkino @ Aug 24 2012, 21:15) \<{POST\_SNAPBACK}\>
Excel allows to import data sets that include a semicolon if it has been marked as a string. A string is encapsulated in inverted commas: "
So if you modify your export script in such a way that you enclose the fields that might have semicolons in them in " then you are clean.
E.g., the (almost) standard csv-export-script looks like this:
```
$filename(csv,utf-16)Titel;Interpret;Album;Track;Jahr;Länge;Größe;Geändert;Pfad;Dateiname;
$loop(%_filename_ext%)%title%;%artist%;%album%;%track%;%year%;%_length_seconds%;%_file_size%;%_file
_mod_date%;%_folderpath%;%_filename_ext%;
$loopend()
```
If you think that you will have trouble in title, then modify the text like this:
```
$filename(csv,utf-16)Titel;Interpret;Album;Track;Jahr;Länge;Größe;Geändert;Pfad;Dateiname;
$loop(%_filename_ext%)"%title%";%artist%;%album%;%track%;%year%;%_length_seconds%;%_file_size%;%_file
_mod_date%;%_folderpath%;%_filename_ext%;
$loopend()
```
Please note the opening " and closing " around %title%.
Modify all the fields you need (e.g. ARTIST, ALBUM)
Hello,
I thought I'd try this first. I've edited the csv.mte file in the \export folder. First trying to eliminate "%title%" , then other fields. But nothing changes, I appear to get all of the fields as below? I must be doing something wrong here. Can you explain this behaviour please? Thanks for your help.
Alan
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/changing-the-export-delimiter/13795/6 "2012-08-25T18:55:22Z")
> [@bayard1](#):
>
> ...Can you explain this behaviour please? Thanks for your help.
>
> Alan
I am not quite sure what you did.
To edit an export definition open
File\>Export
and select the desired export. Press the Edit button.
Perform the changes and save the file.
Please not that the file has to have the extension .mte
Also please note: the first line contains the headlines but not field definitions.
Only variables enclosed in % (like %title%) get filled with the actual contents from the tags.
For further help it will be easier if you enclosed your concrete export script.
---
### Author:  [@aferdman](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/aferdman)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2012, 8:24am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/changing-the-export-delimiter/13795/7 "2012-08-26T08:24:54Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> I am not quite sure what you did.
> To edit an export definition open
> File\>Export
> and select the desired export. Press the Edit button.
> Perform the changes and save the file.
> Please not that the file has to have the extension .mte
>
> Also please note: the first line contains the headlines but not field definitions.
> Only variables enclosed in % (like %title%) get filled with the actual contents from the tags.
> For further help it will be easier if you enclosed your concrete export script.
I edited the file manually using a text editor. I didn't use the built in edit function. Maybe that's why it didn't work for me. Thanks again for your help. I will retry.
Alan
---
### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:24pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/changing-the-export-delimiter/13795/8 "2026-02-09T12:24:01Z")