csvtk (CSV Tool Kit)

csvtk is a handy tool you can use for working with CSV files. These files are super common in data science and other areas because they neatly store table data. With csvtk, you can easily automate those boring, repetitive tasks that usually take forever when you do them manually in spreadsheet apps. It’s a console-based application, which means you'll be using commands to get things done.

Getting Started with csvtk

If you've ever used the Windows console before, you’ll find that working with csvtk isn't too tricky. Just keep in mind some key points about the CSV parser! For example, all lines in your input file should have the same number of fields or columns. If there are any lines with spaces, they’ll throw an error—but don’t worry; there’s a command to skip those!

Important Features to Note

When you're running csvtk, you'll notice some useful information pop up regarding the header row and column names. It's important to make sure your column names are unique, especially if you're using tab-delimited files. Keeping these details in check will help everything run smoothly.

A Variety of Commands

This tool packs over 45 commands to help you play around with your CSV files! You can add headers, stream files directly to stdout, concatenate rows from different files, filter out certain parts of your data—you name it! There are even commands for grepping through fields and renaming rows or columns.

File Conversion Made Easy

But that’s not all! csvtk also lets you convert your files into different formats like JSON or markdown. Want to turn a regular CSV into a neat aligned table? Easy! You can even convert XLSX spreadsheets into CSV format.

More Capabilities Await

The fun doesn’t stop here—csvtk has more tricks up its sleeve! You can edit, order, plot, and convert data right inside your CSVs. It makes managing and manipulating files a breeze and works on all major platforms. With its powerful commands at your fingertips, automating tasks is simple and saves time compared to writing lengthy scripts in Python or other languages.