in2csv

converts tabular data from various formats to CSV

TLDR

Convert Excel to CSV

$ in2csv [data.xlsx] > [output.csv]

List sheet names in an Excel file

$ in2csv -n [data.xlsx]

Convert a specific sheet

$ in2csv --sheet [Sheet1] [data.xlsx] > [output.csv]

Write every sheet to its own CSV file

$ in2csv --write-sheets - --use-sheet-names [data.xlsx]

Convert JSON from stdin (format must be given for piped input)

$ curl [https://api.example.com/items] | in2csv -f json > [output.csv]

Convert JSON nested under a top-level key

$ in2csv -k [results] [data.json]

Convert fixed-width data using a schema file

$ in2csv -f fixed -s [schema.csv] [data.txt]

Convert a DBF file

$ in2csv [data.dbf] > [output.csv]

in2csv converts tabular data from various formats to CSV. It's part of the csvkit toolkit for working with CSV files.The tool handles Excel (XLS, XLSX), JSON, newline-delimited JSON, GeoJSON, DBF, fixed-width and CSV input. Run on a CSV file, it standardizes quoting and line endings. The output can be piped to other csvkit tools for analysis.

PARAMETERS

-f, --format FORMAT

Input format: csv, dbf, fixed, geojson, json, ndjson, xls, xlsx. Inferred from the file extension if omitted.

-s, --schema SCHEMA

CSV schema file (column,start,length) for fixed-width input.

-k, --key KEY

Top-level JSON key containing the list of objects to convert.

-n, --names

Display sheet names from the Excel file.

--sheet NAME

Excel sheet to convert.

--write-sheets NAMES

Comma-separated sheet names (or - for all) to write to separate files.

--use-sheet-names

Name files after sheets when using --write-sheets.

--encoding-xls ENCODING

Encoding of the input XLS file.

-e, --encoding ENCODING

Encoding of the input file.

-H, --no-header-row

Input has no header row; columns are named a, b, c...

-K, --skip-lines N

Skip N lines at the start of the input.

-I, --no-inference

Disable type inference when parsing CSV input.

-y, --snifflimit BYTES

Limit CSV dialect sniffing; 0 disables it, -1 sniffs the whole file.

-h, --help

Display help information.

CAVEATS

Part of csvkit (Python). Large files may be slow. When reading from stdin, -f is required. Numbers from XLS files may gain decimals that the equivalent XLSX would not have. Unnamed header columns are given generated names.

HISTORY

in2csv is part of csvkit, created by Christopher Groskopf in 2011 for journalists and data analysts, and now maintained by the wireservice organization.

RESOURCES

Source code · Documentation