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Complete Spreadsheet Guide

Master spreadsheet formats with our comprehensive guide. Learn about Excel, CSV, ODS, TSV formats, data handling, and spreadsheet conversion best practices.

Quick Navigation

Formats

XLSX, CSV, ODS, TSV

Data Handling

Import & export tips

Best Practices

Professional tips

Conversion

Convert formats

Spreadsheet Formats Explained
Understanding different spreadsheet formats and their use cases

XLSX (Excel)

Microsoft Excel format with full feature support including formulas, charts, and macros.

Full features
Formulas
Industry standard
Best for: Business, complex data, reports

CSV

Simple comma-separated values format, universally compatible with any system.

Universal
Plain text
Data exchange
Best for: Data import/export, databases, programming

ODS

OpenDocument Spreadsheet format used by LibreOffice and Google Sheets export.

Open standard
LibreOffice
Free tools
Best for: Open-source, government, cross-platform

TSV

Tab-separated values format, useful when data contains commas.

Tab delimiter
Avoids comma issues
Database friendly
Best for: Scientific data, databases, logs

XLS (Legacy)

Old Excel binary format (pre-2007), still used for legacy compatibility.

Legacy
Pre-2007
Smaller files
Best for: Old systems, compatibility

Numbers

Apple's spreadsheet format, native to macOS and iOS devices.

Apple ecosystem
Beautiful design
iCloud sync
Best for: Mac users, personal use
Data Handling Best Practices
Tips for preserving data integrity during conversion

Common Data Issues & Solutions

Leading Zeros Lost

IDs like "00123" become "123". Solution: Format column as text before import, or prefix with apostrophe.

Date Format Changes

Dates may swap MM/DD vs DD/MM. Solution: Use ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD) for consistent parsing.

Special Characters

Commas in data break CSV. Solution: Use proper quoting or switch to TSV format.

Encoding Recommendations

  • UTF-8: Best for international characters (recommended)
  • UTF-8 BOM: Better Excel compatibility on Windows
  • Windows-1252: Legacy Windows applications
Spreadsheet Best Practices
Professional guidelines for spreadsheet management

Data Organization

  • Keep data in single, continuous tables
  • Use headers in the first row
  • Avoid merged cells when possible
  • Use consistent date and number formats

When to Use Each Format

XLSX:Full features needed, formulas, charts, formatting
CSV:Data exchange, database import, programming
ODS:Open-source preference, government requirements
TSV:Data contains commas, scientific data

Before Converting

  • Preview data to check formatting
  • Remove hidden rows and columns
  • Convert formulas to values if needed
  • Check for special characters in data
Spreadsheet Tools
Convert between spreadsheet formats
Related Guides
Quick Tips

Data Exchange

CSV is universally compatible with any system or programming language.

Preserve Formatting

Use XLSX to keep formulas, charts, and cell formatting.

Pro Tip

Always use UTF-8 encoding for international characters.

Convert Spreadsheet Formats
Use our free online tools to convert your spreadsheets

All Formats

Complete conversion

Convert between XLSX, CSV, ODS, TSV, and more spreadsheet formats.

Excel to CSV

Data export

Convert Excel files to CSV with proper encoding and delimiters.

Data Analysis

Process data

Convert and prepare data for analysis in any tool.