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CSV, project file or PDF: what should you save?
The best file depends on what you need to do after you close the editor.
Start with the next task
A time card can have several useful outputs, but they are not interchangeable. A person submitting a readable copy needs a different file from someone moving a full project to another browser. Choose the purpose first, then check what the selected format actually preserves.
| Format | Best fit | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|
| CSV | Record data for a spreadsheet | Every project setting is preserved |
| Project JSON | Full editable project and settings | Other tools understand this app schema |
| Read, submit, print or archive a view | It can restore editable fields |
CSV makes fields portable
CSV represents rows and fields. It is useful when another tool can map those fields, but a plain CSV file does not define what a shift, a draft or a break means. MinuteFolio’s importer therefore asks for mapping and format review. Dates, break types and text containing commas deserve inspection before a new project is created.
Quoting keeps a comma or line break inside a field. It is different from protecting formula-like text when a spreadsheet opens the file. Use the export’s explicit encoding rules and check the result in the reader you intend to use.
JSON is the project backup
A versioned project file preserves the editable data structure and settings needed to reopen the card. That includes dated shift and break records, drafts and the chosen display or calculation options. Keep this file when you need to continue editing later or move the project to a different browser.
A version number also lets the importer reject an incompatible file clearly. Do not remove that version or hand-edit values just to suppress an error. Keep the original file while investigating a problem.
PDF is the reading copy
A PDF is useful when the recipient should see a stable, printable account of the period, rows and total. Review long names, notes, page breaks and dates in the actual file. A clean preview alone does not prove that every exported page is correct. The PDF does not restore the app’s editable project.
Keep two copies when the purposes differ
It can be reasonable to submit a PDF and retain a JSON backup yourself. If you also work in a spreadsheet, export CSV for that task. The copies serve different purposes; deleting the browser project does not remove files already downloaded or sent elsewhere.
Sources and method
- RFC 4180: Common Format and MIME Type for CSV FilesInformational CSV field and quoting reference; not a payroll schema or universal spreadsheet-safety guarantee.
Keep going
Import and export CSV files
Map CSV fields, inspect every row, fix date or break errors, and export safely labeled record data for spreadsheets.
Save and reopen a project file
Save and reopen schema-versioned JSON with dated shifts, breaks, drafts and project settings for a complete editable backup.
Download a PDF or print a time card
Choose PDF or browser print, paper size and included fields, then inspect dates, totals, notes and page breaks in the real output.