csvcut is a command-line tool included in the csvkit library, specifically designed for filtering and truncating CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files. It provides functionality similar to the Unix ‘cut’ command but tailored for working with tabular data in CSV format.
Here are the key features and functionalities of csvcut:
- Column Selection: csvcut allows you to select specific columns from a CSV file, filtering out the unwanted columns and keeping only the ones you specify. This is useful when you need to focus on specific attributes or fields in the data and ignore the rest.
- Truncation: Along with column selection, csvcut also supports truncation, allowing you to limit the length of the values in the selected columns. This can be helpful in situations where you want to truncate long text or restrict the display of data for readability or specific requirements.
- Flexible Column Identification: csvcut provides multiple options for identifying columns to be selected or truncated. You can specify columns by their names, indices, or ranges. This flexibility allows for precise control over which columns are included in the output.
- Inclusion and Exclusion: csvcut provides the option to either include the specified columns or exclude them from the output. This gives you the flexibility to choose between a whitelist or a blacklist approach when working with your CSV data.
- Support for Delimited Files: csvcut supports not only comma-separated values but also other delimiters, such as tab-separated values (TSV) or other custom delimiters. This ensures that the tool can handle a wide range of tabular data formats beyond traditional CSV.
- Integration with csvkit: csvcut is part of the csvkit library, a powerful suite of tools for working with CSV files. It seamlessly integrates with other csvkit utilities, enabling you to combine different operations in your data processing workflows.
- Command-Line Interface: csvcut is operated through a command-line interface (CLI), making it easy to use in shell scripts or as part of larger data manipulation pipelines. It supports various command-line options and arguments, allowing for flexible and customizable usage.
By utilizing csvcut, you can selectively extract columns and truncate values from your CSV files, focusing only on the relevant data for your analysis or downstream processes. It provides a convenient and efficient way to filter and manipulate tabular data in CSV format, enhancing your data exploration and preparation tasks.
csvcut Command Examples
1. Print indices and names of all columns:
# csvcut -n data.csv
2. Extract the first and third columns:
# csvcut -c 1,3 data.csv
3. Extract all columns except the fourth one:
# csvcut -C 4 data.csv
4. Extract the columns named “id” and “first name” (in that order):
# csvcut -c id,"first name" data.csv