ParseCSV
ParseCSV

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Formula: ParseCSV()

Category: Miscellaneous

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ParseCSV()

Converts a CSV into a list

or stated otherwise...

Hey Coda, I have this string of CSV, but I need to make this info more usable. Will you turn this CSV into a list?

ParseCSV() has one parameter and one additional, optional parameter:

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CsvString

ParseCSV(CsvString, Delimitor)

The string of CSV text that you want to break apart.

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Delimiter

ParseCSV(CsvString, Delimiter)

The character to note the beginning/end of each list value. Defaults to ",".

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What is a CSV?

A CSV file is short for a Comma Separated Value file. CSV files are simply the file-type which Excel, Google Sheets, or Apple Numbers reads. A spreadsheet! CSV files hold, as their name implies, values separated by commas.

Example CSV file

name,age,state john,42,california susie,32,arizona samantha,21,new york

The above example CSV file would look like this inside of Google-Sheets:

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What is ParseCSV()?

The Coda formula ParseCSV() allows formulaic control over a CSV file. Specifically, it returns a list-of-lists. The gray column below titled Parse CSV holds a list of 3 items. Each list item is itself a list that contains three text values. Play around with the two yellow select-columns below to see how each value within the larger CSV file is actually accessible to you.

Example CSV

Example CSV

CSV File

Parse CSV

Entry __ from the CSV file

Show me their

Result

john,42,california susie,32,arizona samantha,21,new york

[john42california][susie32arizona][samantha21new york]

State

arizona

There are no rows in this table

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Why is it helpful?

ParseCSV can be used in a some pretty powerful ways to create advanced archiving systems in Coda or as a means to store a massive amount of data within a Coda doc without growing total row-count. These advanced methods are better explained in video:

Use ParseCSV() to store large amounts of data in a document

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Use ParseCSV() to create an archive system in-document

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