2. Reasons for importing and exporting data files

1. Analyse data or use it for another purpose

You may want to analyse records held in a database. For instance you may have a set of school attendance records held in a database and you want to work out some statistics. A good way of doing this is to export the data from the database and then import it into a spreadsheet package.

2. Exchanging information

Consider people in different companies who might need to collaborate on a project. Perhaps they might use different brands of software, for example, Company A might use Microsoft Excel and Company B might use Lotus spreadsheets. In order for the person at Company B to be able to use Company A's files, Company A will have to export them in a common format.

3. Presenting data

Sometimes you may want to present a table of data in a text document, but the data itself is stored as a spreadsheet file. So it is very convenient to be able to import spreadsheet files into a word processing application

4. Migrating to a new software application

Say your business has decided to use a new accounting system. It is important that all the financial data files from the old system can be imported into the new system.

5. To be able to access and use old data files

As time passes, most software applications gradually become obsolete, yet people still need to be able to use their old files with new versions of the software.

So being able to import and export information is a very convenient feature.