CSV stands for Comma-Separated Values. It is a plain text file format used to represent tabular data, where each line of the file corresponds to a row, and fields within the row are separated by commas (or other delimiters). CSV files are widely used for data exchange between different software applications and are supported by most spreadsheet software.
Here are key features of CSV files:
Comma-Delimited Format:
- Data values are separated by commas, which act as delimiters between columns. However, other delimiters such as semicolons or tabs may also be used.
Row-Based Structure:
- Each line in the file represents a row of data, and fields within that row are separated by commas.
Plain Text File:
- Like TSV files, CSV files are plain text files. They can be easily created and edited with a basic text editor.
Human-Readable:
- CSV files are human-readable and can be opened and viewed with a text editor. However, they are often opened in spreadsheet software for better visualization.
Usage:
- CSV files are commonly used for data exchange between different software applications, databases, and spreadsheet programs. They are a simple and widely supported format for representing structured data.
Example CSV Data:
Name,Age,City
John,25,New York
Alice,30,San Francisco
Bob,22,London
In the example above, the values are separated by commas, and each line represents a record with corresponding values. CSV files are versatile and used in various scenarios for importing and exporting data due to their simplicity and compatibility with many software applications.