CSV Activities

Version: 1.0.5  ·  ID: zoan-packages-csv  ·  Author: Zoan Software

The CSV package reads and writes CSV (comma-separated values) files using a DataTable. CSV is the most universal format for exchanging tabular data: almost any system exports and imports it. When you take data from one source and need to hand it to another, CSV is often the bridge.

CSV and DataTable

Once read, a CSV is a DataTable, just like an Excel sheet. You can loop over it with For Each, filter and sort it with DataTable, or write it to another destination.

Delimiter and headers

• Delimiter: although “CSV” means comma-separated, many files (especially in regional settings that use the comma as decimal separator) use a semicolon ; or a tab. Set the delimiter parameter to match your file. Only the first character counts; for a tab use the expression ((char)9).ToString().
• Headers: by default the first row is treated as column names (hasHeader = true).
• Quotes: a field in double quotes may contain the delimiter ("Smith, Ann"), and "" inside it stands for one quote. When writing, quotes are added automatically when needed.

Format and limits

• Every column read is text (string): convert with num(...), toInt(...) or parseDouble(...) when you need numbers.
• Each record must fit on one line: a quoted field containing line breaks is not read correctly.
• Blank lines are ignored when reading.
• By default files are read and written as UTF-8; when writing, the file gets the BOM, which helps Excel show accented characters correctly. Supported encodings: the same as in Files › encoding.

Activities

Activity	Type	Output	What it does
Read CSV	read-csv	DataTable	Reads a CSV into a DataTable
Write CSV	write-csv	string	Writes a DataTable to a CSV

Next steps

• Read CSV — read data.
• DataTable — process the table.
• Excel — for .xlsx files.