CSV

CSV (comma-separated values) is a tabular data format that separates fields with commas; RFC 4180 defines the standard, and it is widely used for data import and export.

Purpose

To provide the simplest tabular data exchange format, directly readable and writable by spreadsheets and databases.

Mechanism

Each line is a record, with fields separated by commas. Fields containing commas, quotes, or line breaks are wrapped in double quotes, and a quote inside a quoted field is escaped by doubling it. RFC 4180 specifies CRLF line breaks and an optional header line. Implementations vary in dialect.

Use cases

Spreadsheet import and export
Database data migration
Data analysis (pandas)
Bulk API data

Examples

Input

name,age
Ada,36

Output

A two-row, two-column table

Header in the first row

Common errors

An unquoted field containing a comma shifts the columns: Wrap fields containing the delimiter in double quotes

Related terms

TSV (tab-separated values) is like CSV but separates fields with tabs, avoiding conflicts with commas inside fields; it is common in database exports and NLP.

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data interchange format based on JavaScript object literals, using key-value pairs and arrays.

YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) is a configuration-oriented data serialization format using indentation for hierarchy, supporting comments and references, and better suited to hand editing than JSON.

Related tools

Convert between CSV and JSON online. Supports comma, semicolon, and tab delimiters. Free, private, and 100% client-side.

Convert between CSV and HTML table format online. Free, private, and 100% client-side.

CSV ↔ Markdown

Convert between CSV and Markdown table format online. Free, private, and 100% client-side.

JSON CSV Converter

Convert between JSON and CSV formats online. Free, private, and 100% client-side.

References