d3-dsv

What is d3-dsv?

The d3-dsv npm package is designed for parsing and formatting delimiter-separated values, such as CSV and TSV files. It provides a simple and efficient way to work with structured data in text format, making it easier to import, analyze, and export data in web applications.

What are d3-dsv's main functionalities?

Parsing CSV strings

This feature allows you to parse a CSV string into an array of objects, where each object represents a row of the CSV, with properties corresponding to column names.

"var d3 = require('d3-dsv');\nvar csvString = 'name,age\nAlice,30\nBob,42';\nvar data = d3.csvParse(csvString);\nconsole.log(data);"

Formatting objects to CSV

This feature enables you to convert an array of objects into a CSV string, where each object in the array represents a row in the CSV and the object properties represent columns.

"var d3 = require('d3-dsv');\nvar data = [{ name: 'Alice', age: 30 }, { name: 'Bob', age: 42 }];\nvar csvString = d3.csvFormat(data);\nconsole.log(csvString);"

Parsing TSV strings

Similar to parsing CSV strings, this feature allows for parsing TSV (Tab-Separated Values) strings into an array of objects, facilitating the handling of TSV formatted data.

"var d3 = require('d3-dsv');\nvar tsvString = 'name\tage\nAlice\t30\nBob\t42';\nvar data = d3.tsvParse(tsvString);\nconsole.log(data);"

Formatting objects to TSV

This feature allows for converting an array of objects into a TSV string, making it easy to generate TSV formatted data from JavaScript objects.

"var d3 = require('d3-dsv');\nvar data = [{ name: 'Alice', age: 30 }, { name: 'Bob', age: 42 }];\nvar tsvString = d3.tsvFormat(data);\nconsole.log(tsvString);"

Other packages similar to d3-dsv

papaparse

Papa Parse is a powerful CSV (Comma Separated Values) parser that can convert CSV files into JSON and back. It is similar to d3-dsv in its ability to handle CSV data but offers a more extensive set of features for handling large files and streaming.

csv-parser

csv-parser is a Node.js module that transforms CSV into JSON at the rate of 90,000 rows per second. It provides a simple and efficient streaming API, making it a good choice for processing large CSV files. It is similar to d3-dsv but focuses more on high-performance streaming.

fast-csv

fast-csv is another npm package for parsing and formatting CSV files. It offers both synchronous and asynchronous APIs and includes features for transforming data. While it shares functionality with d3-dsv, fast-csv emphasizes speed and flexibility in handling CSV data.

README

d3-dsv

A parser and formatter for delimiter-separated values, most commonly comma-separated values (CSV) or tab-separated values (TSV).

To parse CSV in the browser:

<script src="dsv.js"></script>
<script>

console.log(dsv.csv.parse("foo,bar\n1,2")); // [{foo: "1", bar: "2"}]

</script>

To parse CSV in Node.js, npm install d3-dsv, and then:

var dsv = require("d3-dsv");

console.log(dsv.csv.parse("foo,bar\n1,2")); // [{foo: "1", bar: "2"}]

To define a new delimiter, use the dsv constructor:

var psv = dsv.dsv("|");

console.log(psv.parse("foo|bar\n1|2")); // [{foo: "1", bar: "2"}]

For more usage, see D3’s wiki page.