CSV Fine Tuning

David Tarrant @davetaz | Ulrich Atz @statshero

Introductions

Your name
Where youve come from
Role
Your aims/expectations for this
session.

Aim

Understand the format, challenges and

benefits for data as CSV.

Outcomes

Identify the characteristics of a comma-separated values

(CSV) file.

Understand the potential benefits and problems with creating

and using CSV files.

Translate a spreadsheet (e.g. excel, open oce etc.) file into a

valid CSV.

Use a number of tools to validate and analyse CSV files and

datasets.

WHAT IS A CSV?

2014: The Year of CSV

The vast majority of published
open data is tabular; over 90%
of the data published on
data.gov.uk is tabular data.

http://theodi.org/blog/2014-the-year-of-csv

Exercise
1. Find the Key Figures & Facts relating to
Government Hospitality Wine Cellar at 1 July
2014
2. Download the CSV
3. Upload it to datawrapper.de

Data formats

Five Aspects
Contextual

Legal

Practical

Technical

Social

Exercise

1. Create a CSV file.

Exercise

1. Create a CSV file.

2. Open it in a text editor

Exercise

1. Create a CSV file.

2. Open it in a text editor
3. Upload your file to csvlint.io

Exercise

1. Create a CSV file.

2. Open it in a text editor
3. Upload your file to csvlint.io
4. Compare your result

Exercise
1. Create a CSV file.
2. Open it in a text editor
3. Upload your file to csvlint.io
4. Compare your result
5. Try downloading the standardised version

Exercise
1. Create a CSV file.
2. Open it in a text editor
3. Upload your file to csvlint.io
4. Compare your result
5. Try downloading the standardised version
6. Clean up your CSV until it is valid

From Excel to CSV

There is more to publishing any tabular data

simply with a .csv extension.

Number of datasets on data.gov.uk

in a CSV format

http://theodi.org/blog/the-status-of-csvs-on-datagovuk

Slide inspired by Andrew Stott

Thank you!