A comma-separated values (CSV) file is a text file that uses a comma to separate each value. Each line in the file is a data record that consists of one or more fields that are separated by commas. The use of the comma as a field separator is where the file gets its name from. A CSV file stores tabular data (numbers and texts) as a plain text, with each case line having the same number of fields.
Why CSV?
· Files are easily exportable due to its small size
· Files are easily importable due to accessibility of format
· Data from CSV files are easily readable
· CSV files can be edited manually with ease
· Easy to generate data using CSV
· CSV file format is supported by other software such as Microsoft Excel
· CSV files can be read using different text editors
· CSV files easier to parse when compared with XML or JSON parser
· CSV is a common format for data interchange
· Column headers only need to be inputted once unlike Excel
· Microsoft’s Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) protocol can be launched.
· CSV formats can be used to represent sets and/or sequences of records.
· It corresponds to a single relation in a relational database.
· There are no limits in regards to character sets.
· Unicode (UTF-8, UTF—16 etc) and ASCII characters are supported.
· CSV file format is supported by Apple Numbers, LibreOffice Calc, and Apache OpenOffice Calc and other spreadsheets and database management systems.