What is a CSV file?

CSV stands for Comma Separated Values, which is a file that contains data in the form of numbers and letters. There are many uses for CSV files, however, these files are often used to exchange data with different applications. In webshops, the file format is often used for product creation, order data and much more.

CSV files are great because they are suitable for databases that contain large datasets and work well with them. With a CSV file, you can therefore retrieve large amounts of data without any problems.

There are a multitude of different uses for CSV files.

The structure of a CSV file

A CSV file has a fairly simple structure. The file consists of a list of data, separated by commas. For example, a simple product extract from your online shop will appear as follows when you export it as a CSV file:

Title,Description,Price (DKK)
Chair,Nice chair in brown leather,349
Mattress,Soft and comfortable mattress,899

In fact, that's essentially what a CSV file is. Naturally, these file types will become much more complicated as more data fields are added. But to keep it simple, it can be easily explained with the above example. Some CSV files may not necessarily contain the information in the header (top line) and others may use different delimiters, such as a semicolon (;) instead of a comma (,).

CSV files are designed to be a quick and easy way to export data and import it into other programmes. The resulting data is human-readable and can be easily viewed in a text editor such as Notepad or a spreadsheet such as Excel.

How do I open a CSV file in a text editor?

To view the contents of a CSV file in a text programme such as TextEdit (Mac), simply right-click the file and select "Open in" and then select "TextEdit".

TextEdit may have trouble opening the file if the file is too large. In this case, you should use another programme to open the file.

You will be able to view the file's content in raw format this way.

How do I open a CSV file in a spreadsheet?

To read a CSV file in an easier and clearer way than with a text editor, you can use a spreadsheet programme such as Microsoft Excel or Numbers. Simply right-click the CSV file, click "Open in" and then select your preferred programme.

If you don't have Excel or Numbers, you can use Google Sheets, for example.

Excel, Numbers and other spreadsheet programmes present the contents of .CSV files as they would appear in a spreadsheet. Here, the values are sorted into columns.