Why a Spreadsheet Might Use Semicolons
A CSV file is plain text arranged in rows and columns. The separator between fields is called a delimiter. In many files, it is a comma—but in regions where a comma marks the decimal point, a number such as `12,5` already contains one.
If commas also separated fields, a row like `Mira,12,5,Paris` could be read as four fields instead of three: a name, a number, and a city. Using semicolons between fields—`Mira;12,5;Paris`—keeps the decimal comma inside the number while making the column boundaries clear.
The Delimiter Is a Convention, Not a Guarantee
The file itself does not usually announce its separator. The program opening it has to infer the delimiter or ask the user to choose one. That is why a file can appear correctly aligned in one spreadsheet and collapse into a single column—or split numbers incorrectly—in another. Import settings that specify the separator and decimal style help the program interpret the same text consistently.
Quoting fields can also protect commas that belong inside values, but different programs and export settings do not always handle these conventions alike. Semicolons are a practical way to avoid that ambiguity in comma-decimal settings. The small punctuation choice can determine whether a row arrives as three usable columns or a jumble of fragments.
