Convert comma separated values files

Plain text. Each line is a record, each value is separated by a delimiter, and the first line is usually a header row.

Where it is good

• Almost every system on earth can import it
• Plain text, so you can read and edit it directly
• Perfectly suited to genuine tables

Where it falls short

• No formatting, no multiple sheets, no formulas
• Commas and newlines inside values need careful quoting
• Encoding problems appear the moment a spreadsheet exports it

You will find it on

Data analysts, developers, every import button ever built

The thing people miss

A CSV exported by Excel on Windows is often UTF-8 with a byte order mark, which makes the first column name read as "Name".

Where it goes next

Getting data out of a system that only exports plain text