CSV vs Excel – Difference between CSV and Excel
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Excel and CSV both help store data in tabular format. Besides this commonality, there are tons of differences in their respective features and usages. Let’s discuss these differences in detail in this article.
Excel and CSV are table-like structures that help to store the data. There are various features that are different from each other and sometimes their usage also varies. Let’s have a deeper look at the differences between them.
CSV
CSV stands for Comma-Separated Values. The values in the CSV are in a text format separated by commas in a series of lines. The CSV files can be read by lots of applications and many languages use some built-in functions to simplify the reading and writing in it. CSV files are used for data analysis and data visualization purposes.
MS Excel
MS Excel stands for Microsoft Excel. The data are stored in rows and columns in the worksheet of a workbook. The cell holds the data values of the file. Excel file is used to store the data and charts, graphs etc can also be added in the worksheet.
Let’s see the difference between MS Excel Vs CSV
| Basic | Excel | CSV |
| Abbreviation | MS Excel stands for Microsoft Excel. | CSV stands for Comma Separated Values. |
| Information | Excel is a file which holds information about all the worksheets in a workbook. | The values in the csv are in a series text format separated by commas. |
| Files | Excel files are binary files. | Csv files are also known as flat files. |
| Performance | The values in the excel can perform calculations and can access macros, formulas etc. | The values in the csv file do not have a formatting, macros, formulas etc. It just stores the data and it does not have access to any of it as excel files. |
| Extension | The excel files are saved with the extension .xls or .xlsx | The CSV files are saved with the extension .csv |
| Text editor | The text editors cannot open or edit the saved excel files. | The text editors such as notepad, MS Excel etc can open or edit the saved csv files. |
| Schema | To maintain a detailed standard schema specification in data-warehouse, excel is much preferable. | CSV maintains a simple and flat schema in the data warehouse. |
| Parsing the data | It is not easy to parse excel data to any programming language as it is usually large, slow and complicated. | It is easy to parse csv data to any programming language. The data is trivial and generating them is much easier. |
| Features | Excel can manipulate the data by using features such as auto-formatting etc. | CSV cannot manipulate the data and it stores the data as-is. |
| Data Values | Excel does not have a clear distinction about the data values. It cannot distinguish the numeric and text value data types | CSV is safe and it clearly distinguishes the difference between the numeric values and text values. |
| Tags | The user has to have a start tag and end tag for each column in each row in Excel. | In CSV, the user writes the column headers only once. |
| Memory | While importing the data, excel consumes much of the memory. | While importing the data, csv consumes less of memory and it can be much faster. |
| Readability | The user finds it easier to read the data in excel. He can also make use of additional functions such as clicking on individual cells, filters, sorting, and reading their formulas in the formula bar, etc. | The user can not read large files in CSV. |
| Data | Excel can also store data in graphs and charts format. | Every newline in csv signifies a new database row. CSV cannot store the data in charts or graphs format. |
| Opening platforms | Only Microsoft Excel documents can open the excel files. | Any text editors in Windows like notepad, MS Excel etc can open the csv file. |
| External Data | The user can connect the excel to external data sources to fetch the data. It allows for review of data with detailed tracking and commenting features. | The user cannot connect the csv files to external data sources to fetch the data and the functionalities are not possible in csv. |
| Large Files | Excel is easier for the end user to read huge files. | CSV is not easier for the end user to read files. |
| Other Languages | Being a developer, it’s not easier to manipulate the excel data programmatically as the files are proprietary. This is true for every other language other than .NET. | Being a developer, it’s much easier to manipulate the csv data programmatically as they are just text files. |
Similarities between CSV and Excel Files
CSV stands for “comma-separated values”. CSV files separate the data values. They store the data in the tabular format where the column names and row values are separated using commas. The following image shows a sample of CSV file
- The spreadsheet programs can open both excel and CSV files.
- The data value of both the files is stored in tabular format using the rows and columns.
- The functions and features are helpful to manipulate both files.
Let’s see how the CSV file looks when opened in Excel:
Summary
From this tutorial, we have learned the difference between excel vs CSV. CSV files consume very little memory compared to excel files while importing data. Text editors can open the CSV files but not the excel files.
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