Exporting means saving your work in a different format from the one you edited in. Every format keeps some things and drops others, so a safe export is one you open and check afterwards. This matters across file organisation and evidence because tasks often ask for a specific format as the final output.
All data below is invented.
What does each export keep?
| Format | Keeps | Usually drops |
|---|---|---|
| CSV | Cell values as text | Formulas, formatting, multiple sheets, column widths |
| Page appearance | Editing, formulas, anything outside the print area | |
| Plain text | Characters | All styles |
| Original spreadsheet/document | Everything | Nothing |
Exact behaviour varies slightly between programs, so always reopen your export.
- Finish and check the working file first.
- Choose the format the task asks for in the save or export dialog.
- Save into 03_output so it stays separate from the working file.
- Reopen the export and compare it with the source.
Worked example
Invented price sheet:
| Item | Qty | Price (RM) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teh tarik | 12 | 3.50 | =B2*C2 |
| Kuih | 8 | 4.25 | =B3*C3 |
| Cake box | 5 | 12.80 | =B4*C4 |
| Sum | =SUM(D2:D4) |
Step 1, calculate: 12 × 3.50 = 42.00. 8 × 4.25 = 34.00. 5 × 12.80 = 64.00.
Step 2, sum: 42.00 + 34.00 + 64.00 = 140.00. Check another way: 42 + 64 = 106, plus 34 = 140. Matches.
Step 3, export to CSV. The file stores the text Teh tarik,12,3.5,42 and so on, ending with Sum,,,140. The formulas =B2*C2 and =SUM(D2:D4) are gone, and 3.50 may appear as 3.5.
Step 4, decide. If the task needs the formulas shown, hand in the spreadsheet or a screenshot of the formulas, not the CSV alone.
The mistake to watch for
Aiman (invented) exports to CSV, deletes the spreadsheet and later cannot show any formula.
Mistaken approach: the CSV is the only copy.
The correction: keep the working spreadsheet in 02_working, put the export in 03_output, and save formula evidence in 04_evidence.
Check yourself
1. A sheet has a total of RM140.00 from formulas. What does the CSV store in that cell?
Show answer
The value 140 (or 140.00), not the formula.
2. A column is hidden in your sheet. Might it appear in a PDF export?
Show answer
Usually no, because hidden columns are not printed. Unhide it first if the task needs it visible.
3. What is the last step after exporting?
Show answer
Reopen the exported file and check it against the source.
Where this leads next
Continue to capturing evidence that shows the relevant setting. Earlier, file type and extension explains why formats behave differently. Test yourself with the mixed practice set.
Exports usually go wrong in the middle of a long task, so a teacher in one-to-one ICT tuition can check what your own files keep and drop.