CSV Files

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files are a common format for tabular data. Python's csv module provides functionality to read from and write to CSV files. The module handles various CSV dialects, quoting, and formatting issues. For reading, csv.reader() returns an iterator that yields rows as lists. csv.DictReader() returns rows as dictionaries with column headers as keys. For writing, csv.writer() writes lists as rows, and csv.DictWriter() writes dictionaries as rows. The module automatically handles special characters, commas within fields, and other CSV complexities. CSV files are widely used for data exchange between applications, especially spreadsheet data. Understanding how to work with CSV files is essential for data processing, data migration, and interacting with systems that export or import CSV data. The csv module makes it easy to work with this format while handling edge cases properly.