Microsoft Excel is an amazing tool that allows users to store information, perform calculations, link data, and a more. This tool is used by multiple professions and practices in support of day to day tasks to store critical and useful information. As a result GIS users often need to make use of data stored in Excel Spreadsheets to perform their daily duties.
While an Excel spreadsheet can act similar to a traditional database, it is not. A spreadsheet allows users to perform functions within, such as assign equations to individual cells or records, which are not allowed in a database. This additional functionality often causes problems when a GIS User tries to integrate spreadsheets into their workflows and analysis within Esri’s ArcGIS platform. To be successful, they must be aware of the limitations.