> CSVs to show properly in Excel we have to mess around with OS language settings.
Why? Aren't the import settings enough?
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Text-Import-Wizard-...
Why? Aren't the import settings enough?
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Text-Import-Wizard-...
I'm not just being pedantic, it makes a big difference. If I want to change some values in a spreadsheet I should be able to just open it, change the values, save, and be certain that the document will be identical apart from the deliberate changes. This is especially important for CSV files, which are commonly used for import/export operations.
It was a fun time explaining to accounting why their report showed duplicate billing events. Try telling an accountant "Don't use Excel". The solution of course was to prefix a "'" character, making the file useless outside of spreadsheet programs.
If Excel isn't for opening CSV files why does it associate itself with that extension by default? Why does it implicitly convert the CSV file to a half-assed Excel workbook? Why is there no option to change this behavior?
I'm just saying that editing CSVs regularly, preserving the formatting, while avoiding the import/export functionality is a very specific use case. It's likely not something excel project managers care about that much either. If the use case is popular, then there's going to be an editor that does it better. If not... tough.
After years of hearing "that's not what Excel is for" I am left wondering what it is for. I have asked many "Excel pros" how to solve some problem in Excel and I honestly can't think of any satisfactory answers. Just "that's not a common use case".
The CSV behavior is just one of the annoyances. Conflating display format with data type is another. Silently changing data is another. My list of gripes with Excel is long and on this topic my fuse is short.