Maybe, by why wouldn’t Excel let uou increase the number of digits in a CSV? The data is currently in Excel, and more digits isn’t incompatible with the CSV format.
Because it’s basically a text file. The data doesn’t exist anymore once you open it as a CSV on another computer. It’d basically just add zeros to the end.
They could probably get that info from the other file, but that would mean getting that person to give it to you again.
You can’t increase the decimal precision beyond the limits of the available data which I think is what OP’s coworker wasn’t understanding – unless I’m the one who misunderstood.
The coworker rounded the numerical data during the conversion from xlsx to csv meaning there was less data in the exported csv than in the original Excel file. They seemed to think the data did still exist in the csv but it was being hidden and that they could simply change the precision to unhide it.
Ahhh, the excel format keeps the precision but changes the display to 1 decimal. When exported to CSV, only that 1 decimal is exported, so you can’t bring back what isn’t there. But the original file still has it.
I understand now, thanks! Definitely a coworker problem not an Excel problem then.
Well, that’s a good point. However, if I wanted to export a CSV with only one decimal place, it would be mighty annoying if changing it to one in Excel didn’t save it like that in the CSV. Unless there was another option to control that.
Maybe, by why wouldn’t Excel let uou increase the number of digits in a CSV? The data is currently in Excel, and more digits isn’t incompatible with the CSV format.
Because it’s basically a text file. The data doesn’t exist anymore once you open it as a CSV on another computer. It’d basically just add zeros to the end.
They could probably get that info from the other file, but that would mean getting that person to give it to you again.
Yeah thanks, I didn’t understand the original problem but I’ve got it now 🙂
You can’t increase the decimal precision beyond the limits of the available data which I think is what OP’s coworker wasn’t understanding – unless I’m the one who misunderstood.
The coworker rounded the numerical data during the conversion from xlsx to csv meaning there was less data in the exported csv than in the original Excel file. They seemed to think the data did still exist in the csv but it was being hidden and that they could simply change the precision to unhide it.
Ahhh, the excel format keeps the precision but changes the display to 1 decimal. When exported to CSV, only that 1 decimal is exported, so you can’t bring back what isn’t there. But the original file still has it.
I understand now, thanks! Definitely a coworker problem not an Excel problem then.
Nope. Still an excel problem. Why should changing a display option alter the underlying data on export?
Well, that’s a good point. However, if I wanted to export a CSV with only one decimal place, it would be mighty annoying if changing it to one in Excel didn’t save it like that in the CSV. Unless there was another option to control that.