Statistics for Big Data For Dummies

Chapter 7

Figuring the Format: Important Computer File Formats

In This Chapter

Understanding different computer data formats, such as .csv, .xlsx, and .html

Getting acquainted with data processing in Excel

Learning the basics of web data formats

There are practically as many data formats as there are systems that create and store data. When doing statistical analysis on that data, you very frequently, if not always, will be using PC-based software. Obviously, then, your data will end up on your PC. In order to help you manage this data, this chapter looks at some key features of several important formats for storing and analyzing data using spreadsheets and database programs.

Spreadsheet Formats

You can save spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel with several different formats, including the following:

• Comma-separated variable (.csv)
• Tab-delimited text (.txt)
• Space-delimited (.prn)
• Excel Workbook (.xlsx)
• Excel macro-enabled workbook (.xlsm)
• Excel Binary Workbook (.xlsb)
• XML (Extensible Markup Language) (.xml)
• HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) (.html)

Comma-separated variables (.csv)

A commonly used structure for storing data is the record. Each record consists of a ...