Technology

CSV

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is a plain text file format: it stores tabular data (records and fields) using commas as delimiters.

CSV is the de facto standard for simple, universal data exchange: it uses a straightforward structure where each line is a data record and fields are separated by a comma (the delimiter). Defined formally by RFC 4180, this format ensures maximum compatibility across platforms. You use it to quickly import or export structured data between disparate applications: think moving a 50,000-row customer list from a MySQL database to Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets for analysis. Because it’s plain text, it lacks formatting, formulas, or multiple sheets, making it lightweight, highly portable, and easily parsable by virtually any programming language (Python, R, etc.).