The basics
- Each line is a row, and the values in a row are separated by a delimiter, usually a comma.
- Values that contain the delimiter, quotes or line breaks are wrapped in double quotes.
- A CSV holds only data. It has no formatting, formulas, colors or multiple sheets.
- Excel, Google Sheets, databases and programming tools can all read it, which makes CSV the standard way to move tables between programs.
- Despite the name, many files use semicolons, tabs or pipes instead of commas.
Why CSV files cause problems
In practice, programs differ in delimiter, encoding and quoting, so a file that works in one tool can fail in another. The usual symptoms are columns in the wrong place, broken accents, lost leading zeros, extra blank rows and duplicates.
Questions
Is a CSV the same as an Excel file?
No. Excel (.xlsx) is a workbook format. CSV is plain text with a single table.
Can a CSV use semicolons?
Yes. Semicolon, tab and pipe are all common delimiters.
How do I open a CSV?
In Excel, Google Sheets or any text editor. If columns look wrong, the delimiter or encoding probably needs fixing.
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