title: Excel VBA: Best way to work with data of CSV file
body: <p>I am looking for a <strong>direct and efficient method to read out csv-files and handily work with the data in Excel/VBA?</strong> </p>
  
  <p>The best thing would be: direct access of data by specifying row and column. Can you tell me of your preferred option? Do you know an additional option to the following two?</p>
  
  <p><strong>A:</strong> Use <code>Workbooks.Open</code> or <code>Workbooks.OpenText</code> to open the csv-file as a workbook. Then work with the workbook (compare <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/8521342/vba-excel-extract-data-in-specific-format-from-csv-files">this thread</a>).</p>
  
  <p><strong>B:</strong> Use <code>Open strFilename For Input As #1</code> to write the data into a string. Work with the string (compare <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/427488/want-vba-in-excel-to-read-very-large-csv-and-create-output-file-of-a-small-subse">this thread</a>).</p>
  
  <p>Thanks a lot!</p>
  
  <p><strong>==========EDIT=========</strong> </p>
  
  <p>Let me add what I have learned from your posts so far: The optimal option to do the task depends too much on what you want to do exactly, thus no answer possible. Also, there are the following additional options to read csv files:</p>
  
  <p><strong>C:</strong> Use VBScript-type language with ADO (SQL-type statements). I still am figuring out how to create a minimal example that works.</p>
  
  <p><strong>D:</strong> Use <code>FileSystemObject</code>, see e.g. <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/9564908/open-csv-file-via-vba-performance/9565276#9565276">this thread</a></p>