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

1. Open VS Code.
2. Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X).
3. Search for "Algae Data".
4. Click "Install".
5. Reload VS Code.

How to Use

1. Open a CSV or JSON file in VS Code.
2. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P).
3. 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)
4. Select the desired command.
5. The converted data will be displayed in a new VS Code editor window.
6. 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.”