CSV Field Escape
Properly handle commas, quotes, and newlines in CSV
About CSV Field Escaping
CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is a simple file format for storing tabular data. When field values contain commas, newlines, or double quotes, special handling is required to ensure correct parsing.
The CSV escape tool helps properly handle fields containing special characters, ensuring generated CSV files can be correctly read by Excel, databases, and other applications.
CSV Escape Rules (RFC 4180)
- Fields containing commas, newlines, or double quotes must be enclosed in double quotes
- Double quotes within fields must be represented by two double quotes ("")
- Leading or trailing spaces are preserved unless enclosed in quotes
- Empty fields can be represented as empty or two consecutive delimiters
Escape Rules Explained
| Scenario | Original Value | After Escaping | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contains comma | Hello, World | "Hello, World" | Enclose field in double quotes |
| Contains quotes | Say "Hi" | "Say ""Hi""" | Enclose and double internal quotes |
| Contains newline | Line1\nLine2 | "Line1\nLine2" | Enclose to preserve newline |
| Plain text | Hello | Hello | No escaping needed |
Common Use Cases
Excel Data Export
Ensure data containing special characters can be correctly exported to CSV and opened by Excel.
Database Import
Properly handle field escaping when preparing CSV data for database import.
Data Cleaning
Process CSV data from different sources to standardize escape formatting.
Programming
Ensure proper field escaping when generating CSV output in programs.
Usage Tips
- Different software may use different delimiters (comma, semicolon, tab)
- Excel uses semicolon as default delimiter in some regions
- UTF-8 encoded CSV files may need BOM header to be recognized correctly by Excel
- It's recommended to always quote fields containing special characters
Excel Compatibility
For Excel compatibility, it's recommended to add UTF-8 BOM (Byte Order Mark) at the beginning of CSV files and ensure all fields containing non-ASCII characters are enclosed in double quotes.