CSV
In a Comma Separated Values (CSV)-file records (or: rows) are separated by a newline character. Values are separated by a separator character like “;”, “|” (or any other character). (Even if a separator is used that is not a comma, one would still call it a csv-file).
Every record has the same amount of fields in the same order.
Values can include new-line characters, provided the Values are enclosed between “double-quotes”. Not every tool is able to parse it, though. Excel cannot. Google Sheets can.
Advantages
- Easy to parse
- Easy to read
- Easy to understand
Disadvantages
- Data types have to be inferred
- Parsing becomes hard when the data contains commas
- Column names may or may not be there