CSV file

CSV (comma-separated values) file is a delimited text file that uses a comma to separate values. Each line of the file is a data record. Each record consists of one or more fields, separated by commas. The use of the comma as a field separator is the origin of the name of this file format. A CSV file typically stores tabular data (numbers and text) in plain text, in which case each line will have the same number of fields.

The CSV format is not completely standardised. Separating fields with commas is the basis, but commas in the data or embedded line breaks must be handled in a special way. Some implementations do not allow this type of content, while others surround the field with inverted commas, which again creates the need to remove them if they are present in the data.

CSV is a common data exchange format that is widely supported by consumer, business and scientific applications. Among its most common uses is moving tabular data between programs that natively operate on incompatible (often proprietary or undocumented) formats.

For example, a user may need to transfer information from a database program that stores data in a proprietary format, to a spreadsheet program that uses a completely different format. Most database programs can export data as CSV and the exported CSV file can then be imported by the spreadsheet program.