csvformatter is an extension which works on CSV files to print them in a table format. It also provides a variety of options to filter and manipulate columns.
Usage
Open a CSV File
Open any CSV file in VS Code.
Trigger the Command
Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS) and select CSVFormatter: Format CSV.
Enter Parameters
A web view panel will open on the right side of your editor. Fill in the parameters:
- Max Size (-s): Maximum character count per column (default is
20; enter all to display full content).
- Columns (-c): Specify the number of columns to display (e.g.,
2 to display the first two columns).
- Range (-r): Enter a list of column numbers separated by hyphens (e.g.,
1-3-4).
- Filter (-f): Filter rows by specifying a column and its values.
For literal matches, supply values separated by dashes (e.g., 3-Integer-float).
For regex filtering, prefix a value with regex: (e.g., 3-regex:.*64.*).
- Match (-m): Match rows that have the same values as a specified reference row at given columns.
Format: <row>-<col1>-<col2>-... (e.g., 10-1-3-4-7 means that row 10 is used as a reference and only rows with the same values in columns 1, 3, 4, and 7 will be printed).
- Execute (-x): Execute a shell command on a column value (e.g.,
1-"awk -F. '{print $5}'").
Note: If both -m and -x are given, the match filter (-m) is applied first, and then the execution commands (-x) are applied on the filtered rows.
- Query (-q): Check this box to print the CSV header with column indices and exit.
- Output (-o): Enter an output filename to save the formatted CSV (if left blank, the output will be shown in a new editor tab).
Submit the Form
Click Submit. The extension will run the Python script with your parameters, and you’ll see the formatted output either in a new tab or saved to the specified file.
Features
- CSV Formatting:
Format CSV files into a clean, tabular view using a Python script.
- Interactive Parameter Input:
Provides an intuitive split-view web form with text boxes and checkboxes to input parameters such as maximum size, columns, range, filter, match, execute commands, query flag, and output file.
- Command-Line Options:
Supports various options (-s, -c, -r, -f, -m, -x, -q, -o) to customize the CSV output.
- User-Friendly Interface:
The web view panel opens split on the right, making it easy to enter options while viewing your CSV file.
Tip: Consider adding short animations or additional screenshots to showcase your extension in action.
Requirements
- Python 3:
Ensure that Python 3 is installed and accessible (i.e., the python3 command is available in your PATH).
- Visual Studio Code:
Requires VS Code version 1.x or later.
Extension Settings
This extension contributes the following settings:
csvformatter.enable: Enable/disable the CSV Formatter extension.csvformatter.someSetting: (Example setting) Set to true to enable additional features.
Known Issues
- The extension depends on Python 3. If Python 3 is not installed or configured correctly, the extension might not function as expected.
- Improperly formatted CSV files might cause the Python script to return errors.
Release Notes
0.0.8 - 2025-04-12
- Match Option (-m):
Added a new option to match rows that have the same values as a specified reference row at given columns.
Example: -m10-1-3-4-7 uses row 10 as the reference and selects rows with matching values in columns 1, 3, 4, and 7.
- Editorial Updates:
Updated documentation and usage instructions to include the new match functionality.
0.0.6 - 2025-04-08
- Regex Filtering (-f):
Users can now filter rows using regular expressions by prefixing filter values with regex:.
Example: -f 2-regex:^A.*$ filters rows where column 2 starts with "A".
- Execution Handling (-x):
Improved parsing and execution of shell commands so that commands (e.g., awk, sed, grep) run without extraneous quotes.
0.0.5 - 2025-04-01
- Fixed issues with the
-x option for executing commands (e.g., awk).
- Made minor editorial changes to the README.
0.0.4 - 2025-03-20
- Added new parameter options for filtering and output formatting.
- Improved error handling and logging throughout.
0.0.3 - 2025-03-10
- Resolved issues with column selection.
- Improved formatting of the output table.
0.0.2 - 2025-03-01
- Initial release with basic CSV formatting and parameter input via a WebView panel.
Q&A
Q: What does CSVFormatter do?
A: CSVFormatter formats CSV files into a clean, tabular view and provides options for filtering rows, matching rows based on a reference row, and executing shell commands on CSV data.
Q: How do I use the -f (filter) option?
A: The -f option filters rows based on the content of a specified column. For literal matches, provide values separated by dashes (e.g., 3-Integer-float). To use regex filtering, prefix a value with regex: (e.g., 3-regex:.*64.*).
Q: How does the -m (match) option work?
A: The -m option lets you match rows that have the same values as a reference row at specified columns.
Format: <row>-<col1>-<col2>-...
Example: -m10-1-3-4-7 means row 10 is used as the reference, and only rows with matching values in columns 1, 3, 4, and 7 are included.
Q: Which option is applied first if both -m and -x are used?
A: When both options are provided, the match (-m) filter is applied first, and then the execution (-x) commands run on the filtered rows.
Q: How do I report issues or request features?
A: You can post questions or report issues in the Q&A section on the Visual Studio Marketplace or open an issue in our GitHub repository.
Following Extension Guidelines
Ensure that you've read through the extension guidelines and follow the best practices for creating your extension.
Working with Markdown
You can author your README using Visual Studio Code. Here are some useful editor keyboard shortcuts:
- Split the editor (
Cmd+\ on macOS or Ctrl+\ on Windows and Linux).
- Toggle preview (
Shift+Cmd+V on macOS or Shift+Ctrl+V on Windows and Linux).
- Press
Ctrl+Space (Windows, Linux, macOS) to see a list of Markdown snippets.
Enjoy!
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