CSV File

Comma-Separated Values (.csv)

What is a CSV file?

A CSV file stores data in rows and columns using plain text. Each row is a record, and values are separated by commas (or sometimes semicolons). CSV is popular because it’s simple and works across spreadsheets, databases, and programming tools.

Common uses

Exporting and importing spreadsheet data
Moving data between apps (CRM, accounting, e‑commerce)
Lists of contacts, products, and inventory
Data backups in a readable format
Feeding data into scripts and analytics tools

How to open a CSV file

Windows: Excel, LibreOffice Calc, VS Code
macOS: Numbers, LibreOffice Calc, Excel
Online: Google Sheets (upload and open)
Tip: If columns look wrong, choose the correct delimiter/encoding during import

Common problems

Columns shift because delimiter differs (comma vs semicolon)
Special characters look wrong due to encoding (UTF‑8 vs ANSI)
Leading zeros removed (ZIP codes, IDs)
Dates auto-converted into the wrong format
Commas inside values break layout if quotes aren’t used

History

CSV has been used for decades as a lightweight way to exchange tabular data. It stayed popular because it’s plain text, easy to generate, and widely supported. Even modern systems still use CSV for imports/exports because it’s simple and dependable.