Evaluating CSV, Excel and PDF exports sensibly

CSV, an Excel workbook and PDF are different formats

TeamCounter exports CSV text files, not native Excel workbooks (.xlsx). Your browser can print a PDF, which is a static view rather than a calculating spreadsheet. Neither format is an automatic restore or synchronisation mechanism.

Open the synthetic CSV from the drink exporter with an overall total of EUR 4.10. It contains the four example data rows and total row, generated by the website exporter with synthetic inputs. The existing exporter uses German column headings even on English tool pages. This file does not provide a TeamCounter import feature.

Check columns, decimals and the printed result

1. Keep the original export and work on a copy.
2. In Excel use Data → From Text/CSV; in LibreOffice Calc use text import. Choose UTF-8, semicolon delimiter and double quotes as the text delimiter.
3. The provided example uses a decimal point. Read 0.50 as half a euro, not as a date or 50. Import names as text.
4. Check four columns in the drink file. Recalculate 2 × 0.50 + 1 × 1.00 + 1 × 0.50 + 2 × 0.80 = EUR 4.10.
5. Open print preview for PDF, check margins and all rows. Turn off browser headers and footers before sharing so a private URL is not printed.

The specialised browser tools export UTF-8 with BOM, semicolons and quoted fields. Attendance export includes current participants and session totals, not all participant states for every past session. Do not execute untrusted cell values as spreadsheet formulas; choose text in the import preview.

Which export types actually exist

The attendance list, drink list, score counter and value counter offer a CSV export. The general online tally counter should not be advertised with a blanket export promise.

The CSV file is a snapshot; later changes in TeamCounter do not update the downloaded file.

Opening a CSV in Excel or a spreadsheet program

1. Choose “Export CSV” in the relevant tool.
2. Store the unchanged original file safely.
3. Open the file in Excel, LibreOffice Calc or another spreadsheet program.
4. If columns are not recognised, select UTF-8 and the separator used during import.
5. Add calculations and filters in a working copy.

Changes in the spreadsheet are never imported back into TeamCounter or synchronised.

Saving a PDF through the browser

Open the print view and choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialog. Check the preview, the page format and the visible data before saving. The PDF is a static representation, not an interactive export.

Example: drink list at the end of the month

After the agreed period the counter values and prices are checked. A CSV file is then exported for calculation or archiving. A PDF can additionally be stored as a readable snapshot. Both files may contain personal information and should only be passed on to authorised people.

Limits of the export

TeamCounter does not create an .xlsx file, performs no re-import and does not synchronise changes from Excel. Exports do not replace accounting, payroll or legally binding documentation. Formulas and further analysis have to be verified in the spreadsheet program you use.

See also the data protection guide.