In the example you’re talking about the scientists were using it as a database. A Microsoft executive even came out and told them that you shouldn’t use it as a database.
Occasionally there’s even articles in scientific journals explaining why you shouldn’t use Excel as a database and suggesting alternatives. But for some reason people still turn to their favourite not database database software.
Nobody does that?
In the example you’re talking about the scientists were using it as a database. A Microsoft executive even came out and told them that you shouldn’t use it as a database.
Occasionally there’s even articles in scientific journals explaining why you shouldn’t use Excel as a database and suggesting alternatives. But for some reason people still turn to their favourite not database database software.
This isn’t a live or massive dataset. It’s a table of data from the samples that were sequenced.
CSV is a perfectly adequate format for the work being done. Actually, Excel’s bug-as-a-feature is the only reason you wouldn’t want to use it.