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The Complete
Introduction to CSV

Learn the in's and out's of working with CSV, from the basics of defining what is CSV, to converting CSV files and troubleshooting common issues.
Know Your CSV Basics
  • What is CSV?
    Defining CSV - what exactly is it and what does it do, in simple and practical terms. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • What we use CSV for
    Answering not what, but why CSV - why do we use CSV to do things like view and move data, backup data and more. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • Understanding CSV and row limits
    Know the limits of common programs used to open CSV files, so you can choose the right option for your size file. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • Why do apps use CSV format?
    We'll look at why CSV format is so universally loved and used by most apps and software for moving data. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
Creating and Opening CSV Files
  • How to create a CSV file
    An overview of how to create a CSV file using various methods, such as spreadsheet programs, text editors and other apps. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • How to open a CSV file?
    How to know which program is optimal for opening and viewing your CSV file. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • What is CSV encoding and what should I use?
    Breakdown of what CSV encoding is and why it's used. We'll also cover UTF-8 and selecting the best encoding option for your file. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • What is a delimiter?
    Learn what a delimiter is, and what it's function is within your CSV file. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
Converting CSV files
  • How to: Convert CSV to Excel
    A step-by-step walkthrough on how to convert your CSV into an Excel file. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • How to: Convert CSV to PDF
    Overview of how to convert your CSV file into PDF format. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • How to: Convert a text file to CSV format
    A walkthrough of how to convert your text file to CSV. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • How to: Convert Excel to CSV
    Learn how to easily convert an Excel file to CSV format. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • What is the difference between CSV and Excel files?
    Take a look at a side-by-side comparison of CSV and Excel file formats to spot the differences and when to use each one. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
Working with CSV files
  • How to: Merging CSV files
    Review your options and steps for merging (or combining) data from various CSV files together. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • Editing data in a CSV file
    Look at how to open and edit data in your CSV file. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • Can I format data in a CSV?
    Looking at how data formatting and CSV interact, and why you may wish to avoid saving as CSV if you need to retain formatting in your file. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • Why quotation marks are used in CSV
    Take a look at how to use quotation marks as text qualifiers in your CSV file. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • How to: Compare two CSV files
    Looking at the different methods for comparing data between two CSV files. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • How to: Save leading zeros in CSV
    Learn how to avoid losing leading zeroes when you open your CSV in a spreadsheet, like Excel. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • How to deal with special characters in CSV
    Understanding what are special characters and how to handle them in CSV files. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • How to: Encrypt a CSV file
    Review the steps to add password encryption to your CSV files. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
How to Solve Common CSV issues
  • Tackling the most common errors when trying to import a CSV
    Take a look at the most common issues that come up during an import using CSV. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • What to do if your CSV is too large to open
    Your guide on how to open and view large CSV files. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • How to stop Excel from formatting numbers in scientific notation
    Learn why Excel converts some numbers to scientific notation, and the steps to fix it. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎
  • How to: Fix a corrupt CSV file
    Looking at what a corrupt CSV looks like and how to fix it. ▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎