The comma-separated values (CSV) file format is a popular way to transfer data between disparate software applications. It is a text-based, tabular data format with a common set of rules for how pieces of information are separated from each other and how this data is stored in a file.
A CSV file is a simple file format that is used to store tabular data, such as a spreadsheet or database. The CSV file format is a plain-text file format used for storing and transmitting data, such as tables of information. It is widely used as both an import and export format for databases and spreadsheets and as a simple data exchange format. It has become common for many everyday applications to accept and generate CSV files.
CSV files are simple text files with rows representing records and columns representing fields of information. Their simplicity and flexibility have made them a popular choice for storing and transferring tabular data, such as contact records. CSV files can be opened by any program that supports text files, allowing data to be imported into other programs or systems with relative ease. They are also easily editable.
The delimiter character used to separate values in a CSV file can be a comma (,) or a tab (t). Generally, fields that contain spaces or punctuation are enclosed in quotation marks, e.g. “John Doe”, while embedded commas and tabs are typically escaped with a backslash ().
The CSV file format has been around for over 40 years, and remains a widely accepted method of storing and transferring data. It is an essential part of any computer user’s toolkit when dealing with inter-operable data formats.
