Welcome to the Treehouse Community
Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.
Looking to learn something new?
Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.
Start your free trial
A X
12,842 PointsWhy is Excel the De-Facto Database Solution for Businesses instead of say...a Database?
From: https://teamtreehouse.com/library/why-microsoft-excel
I know that many companies of varying sizes use MS Excel for data, but (warning personal opinion here!) I feel past a small company size, using MS Excel to store company data is a cumbersome, frustrating, and a downright hazardous prospect.
To give a specific example, let's say everyone has a local copy of a spreadsheet titled Awesome Cookies We Ate in 2008. Everyone ends up making their own changes to the data locally, and then emails all these variations on the Awesome Cookies We Ate in 2008 to everyone else. The spreadsheet has the same name, but all have different data...and which one is the "master" spreadsheet? So the data that was supposed to be obtained by that file is lost when there's 45 versions with the same name emailed to you.
Why wouldn't businesses after a certain point discard using Excel for data and start using a database?
2 Answers
Steven Parker
231,236 PointsYou're right, in a situation like that a company would most likely set up a centralized database. What Excel is primarily used for is data analysis and visualization, not for storage.
Most companies that regularly use applications with databases will also use Excel for analysis — mine sure does!
Andrea Mundt
33 Pointsit is used commonly since some years
A X
12,842 PointsA X
12,842 PointsAh ok that makes sense to use Excel for the analysis and visualization parts. :) Thanks for letting me know what your business does Steven Parker.