Microsoft adds new capability to Excel to handle scientific data better

Microsoft has added a new capability to Excel, which makes it easy for scientists to use various alphanumeric symbols. The update is being rolled out to Windows and Mac users. With this update, Excel no longer automatically converts gene numbers and other scientific data as dates and allows scientists to use proper data within the Excel app. 

Microsoft has added a new capability to Excel, which makes it easy for scientists to use various alphanumeric symbols and the update is being rolled out to Windows and Mac users. With this update, Excel no longer automatically converts gene numbers and other scientific data as dates and allows scientists to use proper data within the Excel app.

This shortcoming made scientists rename genes, which again had to be reworked at the time of publishing, which would otherwise ruin the data. The new update is based on the automatic data conversion feature, which Microsoft introduced last year, where, when disabled, Excel offers more control over automatic data conversion.

The new capability, known as "auto data conversion options," provides users with more control over how Excel interprets and displays scientific data. With this update, Excel will no longer automatically convert gene names and other alphanumeric data into dates. Instead, users can choose to disable automatic data conversion altogether or selectively enable it for specific data types.

This improvement is particularly beneficial for scientists who frequently work with gene names and other alphanumeric identifiers. Previously, Excel's automatic data conversion could lead to data corruption and inaccurate results, as gene names would be misinterpreted as dates. With the new auto data conversion options, scientists can maintain the integrity of their data and avoid unintended conversions.