CSV file

This page contains information on the CSV file extension (Comma Seperated Values), a popular document file format

File extension	.csv
Category	Document File
Description	A CSV file is a way to collect the data from any table so that it can be conveyed as input to another table-oriented application such as a relational database application. Microsoft Excel, a leading spreadsheet or relational database application, can read CSV files. A CSV file is sometimes referred to as a flat file.
Actions	Convert CSV file View other document file formats
Technical Details	In computers, a CSV file contains the different values in a table as a series of ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) text lines which are then organised so that each column value is separated by a comma from the next columns value and each row starts a new line. CSV is one example of a delimited text file, which uses a comma to separate values (many other implementations of CSV allow different seperators such as back or forward slash to be used). However CSV differs from other delimiter separated file formats in using a double quote character around fields that contain reserved characters (such as commas or newlines). The benefit of this approach is that it allows the transfer of data across different applications.
Associated programs	The CSV file format is very simple and supported by almost all spreadsheets and database management systems
Developed by	Microsoft
MIME type	text/comma-separated-values
Useful links	More detailed information on CSV files How to use CSV files Programs that open CSV files Convert CSV file

Using Zamzar it is possible to convert CSV files to a variety of other formats