Understanding CSV

What is CSV?

Imagine CSV as a simple way to organize information into rows and columns, like a spreadsheet. It's like a table where each row represents a different piece of information, and each column represents a different category.

How CSV is Used

CSV is a common format for sharing data between different programs. It's easy to read and understand, even for people who aren't familiar with programming.

Example of CSV

Here's an example of a CSV file that describes characters from the anime "Bocchi the Rock!":

Character Name,Age,Hair Color
Gotoh Hitori,15,Pink
Ikuyo Kita,15,Red
Ijichi Nijika,16,Yellow
Yamada Ryo,16,Blue

This CSV file can be represented as a table:

Character Name	Age	Hair Color
Gotoh Hitori	15	Pink
Ikuyo Kita	15	Red
Ijichi Nijika	16	Yellow
Yamada Ryo	16	Blue

In this example, each row represents a different character, and each column represents a different piece of information about that character.

Commas Inside Fields

Sometimes, the information in a CSV field might contain commas. To avoid confusion, you can enclose the field in quotation marks. For example:

Character Name,Age,Hair Color
"Gotoh, Hitori",15,Pink
"Ikuyo, Kita",15,Red
"Ijichi, Nijika",16,Yellow
"Yamada, Ryo",16,Blue

This CSV file can be represented as a table:

Character Name	Age	Hair Color
Gotoh, Hitori	15	Pink
Ikuyo, Kita	15	Red
Ijichi, Nijika	16	Yellow
Yamada, Ryo	16	Blue

This ensures that the CSV parser treats the entire field as a single value, even if it contains commas.