Im learning Excel as part of a computer course and when I click to save a Worksheet in CSV format it informs me that saving a Worksheet in CSV format means I will lose any formatting or formulas.
However, I learned earlier on in my course that saving files in CSV format provides a method for sharing structured data between one applicaton and another so another application can read this data and reassemble it's previous structure.
These two things seem to contradict each other, could someone clear this up for me?
2007-04-06 07:35:38 · 9 answers · asked by gothic girl 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Software
To quote Wikipedia
in computer science terms, this type of format is called a "flat file" because only one table can be stored in a CSV file. Most systems use a series of tables to store their information, which must be "flattened" into a single table, often with information repeated over several rows, to create a delimited text file.
With a Excel file, you are adding the specific data and formatting from the program Excel, whereas a CSV does not contain that formatting. Read the Wikipedia page for more infomation.
2007-04-06 07:44:19 · answer #1 · answered by chizz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As you probably know csv is comma separated value. So if you type bob, jim, bill in cells a1, a2 and a3 in excel and save as csv it will literally save:
'bob', 'jim', 'bill' in a text file which can be opened by other applications. However, if you change one of the values in excel to bold or italic or shaded or any other formatting this formatting information will not be saved when you save as csv. So it enables sharing of the basic data only and not the excel specific formatting
hope this makes sense.
2007-04-06 07:44:56 · answer #2 · answered by Jewel 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Save the file in csv, then open it in Notepad.
You'll understand!
CSV format is a plain text format where each row is represented in a single line with commas between cells.
That's it!
So anything else you do in Excel (e.g. formulas, formatting (fonts, data types... etc) will be lost!
2007-04-06 07:39:51 · answer #3 · answered by Anna May Noon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
CSV format stores only the numeric data in each cell, you will lose all the formulas, charts, and font formatting information normally stored in the xls format.
2007-04-06 07:41:02 · answer #4 · answered by David P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
CSV stands for comma-separated values. A CSV file is simply a text file without any formatting. An Excel file does contain formatting, such as tables, formulas, macros, colours, et cetera.
2016-04-01 00:50:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Saving in CSV does not save any formulas or formatting, true.
You can also save as .xls now, and export it to CSV later if you want.
CSV is understood by most computers in the world. But most Windows computers can understand XLS files as well.
I always convert my CSV to XLS so I don't get that message.
2007-04-06 07:41:34 · answer #6 · answered by Jim 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
csv stands for comma seperated values.
it is used to transfer stuff between applications, or programs such as unix downloads.
the formatting that you lose is things like bold or underlined text, coloured fields or text and cetain area formats (like when you set a column to a certain 'date' format)
2007-04-06 07:43:26 · answer #7 · answered by Vinni and beer 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a tradeoff, you get flexibility at the cost of Excel specific formatting, formulas, macros, etc.
2007-04-06 07:44:04 · answer #8 · answered by Radagast97 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
this maybe what you need
http://weblogs.chem.ox.ac.uk:7099/wrc/help/webhelp/hlp_exrpt.htm
2007-04-06 08:22:13 · answer #9 · answered by simonjohnlaw 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋