Class XII Computer Science
Quick Notes on Chapter: CSV File Handling
1. What is a CSV File?
● CSV stands for Comma-Separated Values.
● Used to store tabular data (e.g., spreadsheets, databases).
● Each line represents a record, with fields separated by commas.
● Commonly used in programs like Excel and OpenOffice Calc.
2. Characteristics of a CSV File
● A plain text file format.
● Compatible with various software for import/export.
● Example structure:
Name, Age, City
John, 25, New York
Alice, 30, Los Angeles
3. CSV Module in Python
● Python provides the csv module to handle CSV files.
● Steps to work with CSV files:
○ Import the csv module.
○ Open the file using open().
○ Use appropriate reader or writer objects.
4. Reading from a CSV File
● Use csv.reader(file_object, delimiter=',').
● Steps:
1. Import csv.
2. Open the CSV file in read mode ('r') using with.
3. Create a reader object to parse data.
4. Iterate through rows to access values.
● Example code:
import csv
with open('data.csv', 'r') as file:
reader = csv.reader(file)
for row in reader:
print(row)
5. Writing to a CSV File
● Use csv.writer(file_object, delimiter=',').
● Two methods:
1. writerow(): Writes one row at a time.
2. writerows(): Writes multiple rows at once.
● Steps:
1. Import csv.
2. Open the CSV file in write ('w') or append ('a') mode.
3. Create a writer object.
4. Use writerow() or writerows() to add data.
Example code:
import csv
with open('data.csv', 'w', newline='') as file:
writer = csv.writer(file)
writer.writerow(['Name', 'Age', 'City'])
writer.writerow(['John', 25, 'New York'])
6. Creating a CSV File
● Method 1: Using Excel
○ Enter data in rows and columns.
○ Save the file with .csv extension.
● Method 2: Using Notepad
○ Type data as comma-separated values.
○ Save with .csv extension (enclose name in quotes, e.g., "data.csv").
7. Common Operations
● Count Records:
○ Iterate through rows and count.
● Search Data:
○ Compare field values while reading rows.
● Perform Calculations:
○ Sum specific fields like salary.
8. Advantages of with Block
● Automatically closes the file after operations.
● Prevents errors due to unclosed files.
9. Key Points
● Use the appropriate delimiter if the CSV uses characters other than commas.
● Handle exceptions for missing files or incorrect formats.
10. Example Program
● Program to Create and Search Records:
import csv
# Writing data to CSV
with open('employees.csv', 'w', newline='') as file:
writer = csv.writer(file)
writer.writerow(['EmpNo', 'Name', 'Salary'])
while True:
empno = input("Enter Employee Number: ")
name = input("Enter Employee Name: ")
salary = input("Enter Employee Salary: ")
writer.writerow([empno, name, salary])
if input("Add More? (y/n): ").lower() != 'y':
break
# Searching data in CSV
with open('employees.csv', 'r') as file:
reader = csv.reader(file)
data = list(reader)
empno_to_search = input("Enter Employee Number to Search: ")
for row in data[1:]:
if row[0] == empno_to_search:
print(f"Name: {row[1]}, Salary: {row[2]}")
break
else:
print("Employee Not Found")
