A spreadsheet is only useful if the person receiving it can open it and use it the way you intended. Sending an editable workbook to a Work Experience supervisor who only needs a finished summary is the wrong call; sending a PDF to someone who must re-sort the data is just as wrong. Today you learn which file format fits which job, then export your Something Real spreadsheet so you keep a working copy, a data-only copy, and a finished share copy.
Imagine you must send this week's stock list to two people: a supplier who will load the numbers into their own system, and a placement supervisor who only needs a clean printout for a meeting. Which format would you send to each person, and why?
Open {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm3}} and check that {{code:sm3_from_template}} is there. If it is missing, restore it from the class template or ask your teacher for the starter file, then save it in {{code:sm3}} with that exact name before any export. Do not use a random master filename in this lesson.
Four spreadsheet-related formats turn up again and again at work, in apprenticeships, and in LCA tasks. The format is a decision about audience and purpose, not a random download choice.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| .xlsx (Excel workbook) — the full working spreadsheet format used by Excel for the web and many desktop apps | Keeps formulas, formatting, multiple sheets, and charts so you can keep editing | Your live Something Real budget or stock sheet that you still update each week |
| .ods (OpenDocument Spreadsheet) — an open standard workbook format used by LibreOffice and supported as an export option | Useful when a recipient's workplace standardises on open formats rather than Microsoft files | Sharing a cost sheet with a community group that asks for open-document files |
| .csv (Comma-Separated Values) — plain text rows of data separated by commas; no real spreadsheet formatting | Perfect for moving raw numbers between systems; terrible as a finished document | Exporting product names and prices so a supplier or another app can import the list |
| .pdf (Portable Document Format) — a fixed-layout snapshot for reading and printing | Looks the same on almost any device and is hard to accidentally edit; formulas are gone | Sending a polished one-page summary to a Work Experience supervisor or for a Key Assignment print pack |
Stop — tell your partner: which file is the master, and why must you never replace it with a CSV or PDF?
When you export, some things travel and some things do not:
Worked example: a short stock list (Item, Net (€), Qty, Total formula). CSV goes to the supplier; PDF goes to the supervisor; the master stays in the portfolio.
Quick class call-out: teacher names a job — supplier import, print for interview folder, keep editing — class calls the format.
Export the same Something Real spreadsheet two ways (.csv and .pdf), reopen each copy, and note what survived. Your editable master stays in the portfolio; the downloads are copies for checking and filing. (.ods is extension only later if you finish early.)
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| My CSV has no formulas and the currency formatting is gone | That is expected (you should already have seen this when you opened the CSV). CSV stores values as plain text. Keep the .xlsx or Google Sheet as the editable master and treat CSV as a data hand-off only. |
| The PDF cuts off columns or looks huge on one page | Before exporting, use print/page setup (landscape, fit-to-width) if available, or narrow unused columns. In Google Sheets the print settings panel appears automatically after {{menu:File -> Download -> PDF Document (.pdf)}}. Re-export after the layout looks right in preview. |
| I cannot find the downloads in my portfolio folder | Browser downloads go to the device Downloads folder first. Upload or move the .csv and .pdf into {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm3}} yourself, using the exact names {{code:sm3_from_template.csv}} and {{code:sm3_from_template.pdf}}. |
| Only one sheet appeared in the CSV | CSV exports the active sheet only. Switch to each sheet and export separately if you truly need every sheet as data, or share the full workbook instead. |
| I cannot see ODS / OpenDocument in Excel for the web | That is fine for today. Core evidence is master + CSV + PDF. Try ODS on Google Sheets later, or treat it as the extension challenge only. |
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