Features

CSV Buddy v3.0

Even if the CSV file format is a widely accepted standard, it is still found in multiple flavors. In some implementations, fields are separated by comma. Others are delimited with tab, semi-colon or a variety of characters depending on the OS. Most CSV file records stand on one line. However, some programs export multi-line data with line breaks inside fields (try to load in Excel a CSV export from Outlook or Gmail contacts with multi-line notes text fields). Many programs will have a hard time importing these various variations of the CSV format.

The freeware CSV Buddy helps you make your CSV files ready to be imported by a variety of software. Load files with all sorts of field delimiters (auto-detection of comma, tab, semi-colon, etc.). Field containing delimiters or line breaks can be embedded in various encapsulators (double-quotes, single-quotes, pipes or any character). Get field names from the file’s header (first line) or set your own column titles. Load data with line-breaks.

Rename, select or reorder fields. Merge fields into new columns. In a grid, add, edit or delete records. Sort them on alphabetical or numeric values (integer or float). Filter the list, search records with global or columnn search. Search and replace, confirm each replacement or replace all. Save all or selected rows to a new file using any delimiters, with header or not. Replace line breaks in data fields with a marker to make your file ready to load in software (like MS-Excel) that can only load single-line fields.

Automate tasks with CSV Messenger (included) scripting commands. This app allows to set the value of various CSV Buddy’s controls (text fields, radio buttons, checkboxes, etc.) in order to configure a task (like open file, edit columns, save or export file, etc.) and then trigger this task as if you were clicking on a button. Tasks can be sent from the command line (or batch files, scripts, etc.) or by creating a script file. More info…

Export your data to fixed-width files with specific width for each field, truncating data or padding it with spaces. Export to HTML using your own template with markers to insert your data fields in the web page. Also export to XML standard format.

CSV Buddy can load files having up to 200 fields (columns) and cells with up to 8191 characters. With the 32-bits version, file loading is limited by available physical memory. Tests were successful with files over 100 MB. With the 64-bits version, there is no limitation to file size thanks to virtual RAM. However, loading and saving time will increase as files get huge (in the hundreds of megs). Read and save file with encodings ANSI (default), UTF-8, UTF-16, UTF-8-RAW (no BOM), UTF-16-RAW (no BOM) or CPnnnn (nnnn being a code page numeric identifier).

1) Load CSV File 2) Edit Columns Edit row (full screen)
3) Save CSV File 4) Export Merge fields

Features

1) Load CSV file to a list view

  • Select and preview the file to load
  • Supported file encodings: ANSI (default), UTF-8, UTF-16, UTF-8-RAW (no BOM), UTF-16-RAW (no BOM) or CPnnnn (set the load “nnnn” code page in the CSVBuddy.ini file).
  • Get field names from the file header (first line of the file)
  • Set the header of your choice to customize field names
  • Use any single-character custom field delimiter (comma, tab, semi-colon, etc.)
  • Use any single-character custom field encapsulator (double-quotes, single-quoted, etc.) to embed field containing a delimiters or line breaks
  • Auto-detection of field delimiter (comma, tab, semi-colon, colon, pipe or tilde) and field encapsulator (double-quote, single-quote, tilde or pipe) from file’s first line
  • Load multi-line fields (do not consider a line break between double-quotes as the end of a record)
  • Restore line breaks within fields by replacing a temporary character of your choice (like “¶”, ASCII code 182) with line break
  • Create merged fields as you load a file by adding merge specifications in the header of the file
  • Import CSV files created by Excel containing equal signs before opening encapsulators to indicate data not to be interpreted as numeric data
  • Load the file into a list allowing these features:
    • Sort rows on any field by clicking on column headers
    • Sorting type: alphabetical, numeric integer or numeric float, ascending or descending
    • Click on a column header to perform a search, search and replace or a filtering on the content of this column.
    • Search and replace, confirm each replacement or replace all
    • Double-click on a row to edit a record in a dialog box (field names are uses as form labels)
    • Right-click anywhere in the list view to select all rows, deselect all rows, reverse selection, add a new record, edit a record, delete selected rows, perform a global search or a global filtering
    • Click the Create button on first tab or right-click in an empty list to create a new file from scratch
  • Load a file from command-line parameter with automatically detected field delimiter
  • Merge fields allowing, when loading a file, to create a new field based on the content of previous fields in each row (see “Merge fields” below)

2) Edit columns

  • Rename fields by entering a delimited string with the new field names
  • Order fields by entering a delimited string with the names of the fields in the desired order
  • Select fields to keep in the list view by entering a delimited string with the names of these fields
  • Merge existing fields into a new field

3) Save list view to CSV file

  • Choose destination file name (default to original name + 1 or 2, etc.)
  • Supported save encodings: ANSI (default), UTF-8, UTF-16, UTF-8-RAW (no BOM), UTF-16-RAW (no BOM) or CPnnnn (set the save “nnnn” code page in the CSVBuddy.ini file).
  • Check the content of the destination file if it exists
  • Overwrite or append data if destination file exists
  • Set any single-character as field delimiter in the destination file
  • Set any single-character as field encapsulator in the destination file
  • Save the file with or without a CSV header (first line of the file with field names)
  • Save multi-line fields (embedded with the encapsulator character)
  • Convert multi-line fields to single-line by replacing line breaks within fields with a replacement character of your choice (like “)
  • Save rows in the order they appear in the list view
  • Save all rows or only selected rows

4) Export

  • Export to fixed-with file
    • Choose fixed-width for each field
    • Truncate data or pad with space
  • Export to HTML using an HTML template
  • Export to XML
  • Export to other format using a custom row template

Scripting

CSV Buddy Messenger allows to set the value of various controls (text fields, radio buttons, checkboxes, etc.) in order to configure a task (like open file, edit columns, save or export file, etc.) and then trigger this task as if you were clicking on a button. Here are lists of the various types of controls and of the scripting commands. More info…