The Excel Paradox of Coding

28 Mar 2026 #coding

Last week, for the nth time, I had to bulk-import records using Excel.

No matter how advanced and complex your business rules and code, they often circle back to reading and writing Excel files.

I should call it The Excel paradox of coding.

Instead of writing enterprise software, maybe we should build Excel add-ons and let end users stick to what they know, Excel.

Tasks for bulk-importing from Excel files

If you’re starting out, here’s a street‑smart tip:

Learn to work with Excel in your language of choice to:

Download an Excel file with existing records.
Upload an Excel file with updated columns, using an ID column to find matching records.
Validate data integrity of the file. Be careful with date and numeric columns.
Bulk-update the records from the file. Optionally, use a background processor.
Report once the file is processed. Optionally, report the progress with a completion bar on a page and send an email when done.

It’ll save you countless headaches. You’ll use it a lot! I’ve seen those tasks in every single job I’ve had.

That lesson didn’t make it into Street‑Smart Coding, but inside you’ll find 30 practical lessons to level up your coding skills.