Tab separated values (TSV) is a simple and plain text format used for storing and exchanging tabular data between computer programs. Tab separated values are similar to other forms of plain text files containing values separated by a delimiter, such as comma separated values or space separated values, but use a tab character as the separator instead.
The tab character is usually generated by pressing the tab key, usually found at the bottom left of the keyboard. Although the tab character can be displayed on a computer monitor, it is more convenient to use tab separators when dealing with tabular data because of the uniform spacing it creates.
TSV is commonly used for database dumps and data exchange between computer programs. A database dump is the file containing data read from a database and can be written to a file. Tab separated values may be used in conjunction with database dumps as a means of preserving data structure and avoiding data loss during the interchange.
TSV is also used for importing or exporting data from spreadsheets. To export spreadsheet data in TSV format, you can usually select ‘Save As’ or ‘Export’ from the file menu, and then select ‘Tab-separated values’ from the list of available file formats. Data imported from TSV files into a spreadsheet is usually arranged in rows and columns in the same way that it was exported.
TSV as a format is popular because it is easy to work with and is widely supported by software and operating systems. However, it has one major drawback in that data entry by a human operator can be difficult if the data contains tabs or characters which are difficult to distinguish between, such as spaces.
Overall, tab separated values are a useful way to store and interchange tabular data, given its simplicity and wide compatibility.
