File Extension CSV

CSV is an acronym for Comma Separated Value. Files in this format are useful in the exchange of data from one application to another. It has joined the ever-growing list of legacy formats, which include XML.

In the CSV file format, each record appears as one line, though fields may have line breaks embedded. Commas separate fields, for instance Jane,Doe. The leader and trailer space characters next to any field separators have no effect and are ignored by the system. Jane , Doe translates to “Jane” and “Doe”. Fields that have embedded commas require delineation using the double-quote character. If for some reason, some fields contain double quotes, they still require double quote characters. So is the case for failed with line breaks. In CSV format, the first initial record may appear as a header with column or field names. The reason for this is that no clear mechanism exists to discern automatically whether the initial record is in fact a header. Generally, an external process is necessary, even if it means presenting a user prompt. The header row encoding takes the form of a normal CSV record, following the stated syntax.

Despite the above discussion, there is no standard format governing CSV, although the most commonly used specification is the ‘eight hundred pound of gorilla CSV’. It is not technically elegant or pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but the worlds’ renowned software development companies use it. The reason why it should be widely adopted is that it allows for universal export and import of data. This is the essence or interoperability. With the growth of the communication industry where convenience is a catchword, transferability is paramount. Companies using less known formats have no intention of having their applications read or written by others. Others do this in the hope of setting a trend that the public will adapt. A good reason for doing this is that technically advanced formats of CSV might be easier to conceive.

CSV has one great advantage over the XML format as far as new design specifications go. It has a far lower overhead, placing lower demands on bandwidth as well as storage. This advantage comes out clearly in requirements using expensive bandwidth and in cases where huge amounts of information and data must be transferred often. Another alternative is to use a hybrid implementation that easily converts from and to CSV when bandwidth efficiency is critical.