Tag
CSV
CSV and tab-delimited files: quoting rules, encodings, the way spreadsheets silently rewrite your data, and how to check a file is well formed before you import it.
8 posts
CSV vs XLSX: Which File Format Should You Use?
CSV is simple and universal; XLSX holds formulas, formatting and multiple sheets. Compare size, compatibility, data integrity and when each is the right choice.
How to Validate a CSV File Before You Import It
Catch ragged rows, unclosed quotes, wrong delimiters and encoding problems before an import fails. A step-by-step CSV validation checklist.
CSV Quoting and Escaping Rules: Commas, Quotes and Line Breaks
How CSV handles commas, double quotes and line breaks inside values, based on RFC 4180, plus the common mistakes that split rows in the wrong place.
Why Excel Ruins CSV Data: Lost Leading Zeros, Mangled Dates and Big Numbers
Open a CSV in Excel and zip codes lose zeros, dates flip and long IDs turn to scientific notation. Why it happens and how to import safely.
Fix Garbled Characters in CSV Files: Encoding Problems Explained
Accented letters turning into symbols in a CSV? That is an encoding mismatch. Learn UTF-8 vs ANSI, the byte order mark and how to open the file correctly.
CSV vs TSV vs Tab-Delimited Files: What Is the Difference?
CSV uses commas, TSV uses tabs, and .tab files vary. Learn the differences, when tab-delimited files are safer and how to detect which delimiter a file uses.
How to Open a CSV File Without Excel (Free Options)
You do not need Excel to open a CSV. Use a free spreadsheet, a text editor, your browser or a phone app. Here is how, and how to avoid the data-mangling traps.
What Is a CSV File? A Plain-English Guide
A CSV file stores a table as plain text, with values separated by commas. Learn how CSV works, what it can and cannot hold, and where you will use one.