Algae Data — CSV & JSON Converter
Algae Data is a lightweight yet powerful VS Code extension that:
- Converts
.csv
to .json
- Converts
.json
to .csv
- Predicts column data types of CSV files using the first 100 rows
Built for developers, analysts, and data nerds 🌊
Think of it as your pocket Swiss Army Knife for structured data!
🚀 Features
✅ CSV ➜ JSON conversion
✅ JSON ➜ CSV conversion
✅ Smart column type prediction using a 100-row heuristic
✅ Auto-formatting for neat and clean results
✅ Works offline, fast & local
✅ Minimal UI — integrated right into your editor
✅ One-click conversion: Easily convert between CSV and JSON formats with a single command.
📦 Installation
- Open VS Code.
- Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X).
- Search for "Algae Data".
- Click "Install".
- Reload VS Code.
How to Use
- Open a CSV or JSON file in VS Code.
- Open the Command Palette (
Ctrl+Shift+P
or Cmd+Shift+P
).
- Type "Algae" to see the available commands:
- "Algae: CSV to JSON" (
Ctrl+Shift+C
or Cmd+Shift+C
)
- "Algae: JSON to CSV" (
Ctrl+Shift+J
or Cmd+Shift+J
)
- Select the desired command.
- The converted data will be displayed in a new VS Code editor window.
- Save the converted data to a new file.
📂 Example: CSV ➡️ JSON
JSON output:
{
"Data": {
"Content": [
{
"description": "description",
"industry": "industry",
"level": "level",
"value": "value"
},
{
"description": "Type of outstanding debt: bank overdrafts",
"industry": "total",
"level": "0",
"value": "13215"
}
],
"Headers": [
"description",
"industry",
"level",
"value"
]
},
"Metadata": {
"description": {
"Type": "String",
"Variable": "DESCRIPTION"
},
"industry": {
"Type": "String",
"Variable": "INDUSTRY"
},
"level": {
"Type": "String",
"Variable": "LEVEL"
},
"value": {
"Type": "String",
"Variable": "VALUE"
}
}
}
Type detection is based on a sample of the first 100 rows to balance performance and accuracy.
📄 Example: JSON ➡️ CSV
JSON input:
[
{
"id": 101,
"product": "Laptop",
"price": 799.99,
"in_stock": true
},
{
"id": 102,
"product": "Mouse",
"price": 25.5,
"in_stock": false
}
]
CSV output:
id,product,price,in_stock
101,Laptop,799.99,true
102,Mouse,25.5,false
🧠 Coming Soon
- CSV dialect auto-detection
☕ Support
If you find Algae Data helpful, you can fuel the algae with a little sunlight ☀️ (or caffeine):

We would like to thank all the contributors who have helped improve this extension. Your contributions are greatly appreciated!
📬 Feedback / Issues
Have an idea or bug report? Create an issue or suggestion in the GitHub repo — I read every one 🧠
Thanks for using Algae Data 💚
“Structured data made effortless.”