csvtool is a versatile command-line utility that provides various functionalities for filtering and extracting data from CSV (Comma-Separated Values) formatted sources. It is designed to process CSV files and allows you to manipulate the data based on specific criteria, enabling you to perform data transformations and extract relevant information.
Here are the key features and functionalities of csvtool:
- Data Filtering: csvtool allows you to filter the data in a CSV file based on specific conditions. You can specify filter criteria using comparison operators (e.g., equal to, greater than) and logical operators (e.g., AND, OR) to select rows that meet certain criteria. This enables you to extract subsets of data from large CSV files based on specific requirements.
- Data Extraction: csvtool enables you to extract specific columns or fields from a CSV file. You can specify the column indices or names to extract, allowing you to retrieve only the relevant information you need. This feature is particularly useful when you want to work with a subset of columns or when you want to transform the CSV data into a different format.
- Data Manipulation: csvtool provides functions for manipulating the data within the CSV file. You can perform operations such as sorting the data based on specific columns, transposing rows and columns, merging multiple CSV files, and performing calculations on numeric data. These operations allow you to reshape and transform the data to meet your specific requirements.
- CSV Formatting: csvtool allows you to control the formatting and structure of the CSV output. You can specify delimiters, quote characters, and field encodings to ensure compatibility with different systems and tools. This flexibility ensures that the generated CSV output is compatible with downstream processes or other applications that require specific CSV formats.
- Command-Line Interface: csvtool provides a command-line interface (CLI) that accepts a CSV file as input and applies the specified operations. It supports various command-line options and arguments to configure the behavior of the tool. This makes it easy to integrate csvtool into scripts, automation processes, or interactive data manipulation tasks.
- Integration with Other Tools: csvtool can be easily integrated with other command-line tools or scripting languages to create powerful data processing pipelines. It supports input and output redirection, allowing you to chain multiple commands together and perform complex data manipulations.
csvtool is a valuable tool for working with CSV files, allowing you to filter, extract, and manipulate data efficiently. Whether you need to subset the data, perform calculations, or reformat the CSV file, csvtool provides a wide range of functions to streamline your data processing tasks. It is particularly useful in scenarios where you need to process and analyze CSV data in a flexible and customizable manner.
csvtool Command Examples
1. Extract the second column from a CSV file:
# csvtool --column 2 /path/to/file.csv
2. Extract the second and fourth columns from a CSV file:
# csvtool --column 2,4 /path/to/file.csv
3. Extract lines from a CSV file where the second column exactly matches ‘Foo’:
# csvtool --column 2 --search '^Foo$' /path/to/file.csv
4. Extract lines from a CSV file where the second column starts with ‘Bar’:
# csvtool --column 2 --search '^Bar' /path/to/file.csv
5. Find lines in a CSV file where the second column ends with ‘Baz’ and then extract the third and sixth columns:
# csvtool --column 2 --search 'Baz$' /path/to/file.csv | csvtool --no-header --column 3,6