An attendee list needs to be imported into a booking system, while the internal planning file contains several sheets and calculations. Those two tasks do not need the same format. CSV often suits a narrowly defined data exchange. A workbook is appropriate when structure, formulas, and editing features need to survive. Choose according to what the recipient will do and what the receiving tool actually supports.
What a CSV file carries
CSV stores tabular fields as text. It does not contain a collection of worksheets with colors, charts, and full calculation behavior like a regular workbook. Excel's CSV export writes the active sheet to the text file; additional sheets need separate handling.
The CSV name does not guarantee that every program expects identical settings. Delimiters, character encoding, and interpretation of dates or numbers must agree. A semicolon-delimited file can appear entirely in one column when imported with the wrong configuration.
Fields may themselves contain commas or line breaks. Export and import tools must handle those correctly, often using quotation marks to enclose a field. Do not replace every comma in a text file indiscriminately. You could alter names, descriptions, and decimal values along with the separators.
When the workbook is needed
If someone must change assumptions and recalculate results, they usually need the intended workbook. The same applies when connected sheets, input rules, or explanatory material are part of the task. A CSV extract can convey displayed results without preserving the full working context.
A workbook may also contain more than the recipient needs: internal notes, hidden data, external connections, or old analyses. Do not choose it solely because it is the original format. Prepare a suitable distribution copy and inspect its contents.
Full compatibility between spreadsheet applications is not guaranteed either. If a particular formula, chart, or connection matters, test that feature in the intended receiving application. Successfully opening a file does not establish that every result and editing capability has survived.
Test the handoff with a concrete example
For the booking system, the required extract might contain an attendee identifier, name, and selected session. Cost calculations and internal discussion notes do not automatically belong in it. Obtain the expected column names and data types, then export that specific subset.
Test a few revealing records first: a name with an accented character, an identifier beginning with zero, and an entry containing a comma. Inspect the values in the receiving system, not just the export preview. After that succeeds, also check the record count in the full import.
Keep the editable original and the exact delivered export separately. Give the export an identifiable date or version and explain its limits where needed. You can then establish which data was transferred while continuing calculations in the workbook designed for that purpose.