CSV Files

A comma-separated values (CSV) file

Contains data with commas to denote the beginning and end of each datum in a row. Used to share data from one application with other software. This type of file is also known as a comma delimited file. Other characters may be used instead of a comma, such as tabs or spaces.

Native File

When you save a file using a certain program, the file is often saved in a format only that program can recognize. For example, if you save a Microsoft Word document, it is saved as a Word document (i.e. mydocument.docx). This is a native Word file -- that is, the file format is native to the Microsoft Word application and may not be recognized by other programs.

Why use a CSV File?

a CSV file is used to share spreadsheet data with other software that cannot read the native file format of the spreadsheet software. For example, you may have a word processor that cannot read Microsoft Excel files (XLSx). However, you may need to include the spreadsheet data in a table in the text document. By saving the data from the spreadsheet as a CSV file, the word processor can import the data and create a table.