Trouble with input files when using German regional settings

[jarvis24]

When saving .csv files on computers with certain regional settings (e.g., German, Dutch) the files can no longer be used as input files in DirectRT. This is a solution summary contributred by one of our users in Germany. -Blair

[edited from support email]

We have discovered we have to have German regional settings to use the MediaLab Experiment Editor (otherwise the file type mismatch error message appears) but then we are unable to alter DirectRT csv files.

The DirectRT csv files are ONLY editable with USA settings. Even if we alter only one word of the full functioning sample file and save the change using the german settings, it won't work anymore. Our original file (which looks fine, but won't work, as you might recall) is somehow victim of those usa/germany switches.

If we open csv files (e.g. the sample files) using the American settings, they are presented in cells and columns and stuff (just the way you are used to it, while working with excel). If we on the other hand open them using German settings it's one line, separated with commas, which is hard and time consuming to edit (and which won't work). So making a long story short:

1. We need US settings to alter csv files (which makes it impossible to use the editor)
2. We need the German settings to use the MediaLab editor (which makes it impossible to alter DirectRT input files)
3. Somehow the switching of regional settings is can sometimes lead to errors when translating the original file
4. The impact of switching regional settings seems like it may be related to the regional settings you use while installing MediaLab and DirectRT (and is independent of the ML or DRT version we use)

Please let me know what you think about this and if there is an easy way to avoid these problems (perhaps in installing the programs with the American regional settings?).