csvlens

csvlens [options] [file]

csvlens is a command-line CSV file viewer designed for efficiently browsing and searching through CSV data. It provides column-aligned display, interactive search filtering, and keyboard navigation similar to less or vim.
The tool automatically detects and aligns columns for easy reading, supports various delimiters beyond commas, and allows filtering data without modifying the original file. It's particularly useful for inspecting large CSV files where traditional editors may struggle with performance.

-f, --filter PATTERN

Filter rows matching the pattern

Specify delimiter character (default: comma)

Show only specified columns (comma-separated indices)

Treat the first row as data, not headers

Show line numbers

Use tab as delimiter

Use semicolon as delimiter

Display help and exit

Display version and exit

↑/↓ or k/j

Navigate up/down through rows

Scroll horizontally

Search/filter mode

Next/previous search result

Go to first/last row

Quit

Very large CSV files may still experience performance limitations depending on available memory. Unicode and special character handling depends on terminal capabilities. Some complex CSV formats with embedded newlines may not render correctly.

csvlens was developed to address the need for a fast, lightweight CSV viewer in the terminal. It draws inspiration from traditional Unix tools like less and grep while adding CSV-specific formatting and navigation features.

cat(1), less(1), grep(1), awk(1)