Does anybody use a pure CSV editor?

Software
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It’s occurring to me that I have a number of types of data that I could store in a spreadsheet - but all I really need is an app that makes it easy to open, edit, and save CSV files. This will also give me the benefit that my code will have an easier time accessing the data.

I know Numbers/Excel can do this, but I don’t want the import/export hassle.

Does anybody else do this, and have an app they prefer? I see there are some options on the app store, but figured I’d check here first in case anybody has some firsthand recommendations. :slight_smile:

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“Easy CSV Editor” on the App Store is quite powerful for opening, editing, and saving CSV files. I haven’t used it much but it does find and replace and all kinds of formatting and row/column manipulations. And it’s a nice easy to use Swift design.

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Take a look at Easy Data Transform. I’m not sure what kind of editing you need to do and whether it’s something you can do in this app, but you can work directly with CSV files without opening them in Excel.

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I just took a look at Easy CVS Editor—Forget Easy Data Transform unless you really do need to do complex data transformation! Easy CVS Editor looks really nice—so nice, in fact, that I bought it.

I do enough work with CSVs that don’t require Excel’s overhead that it’s more than worth it. Also, Excel is powerful, but not exactly “Mac-assed.” A lot of things you can do with a right-click in any self-respecting Mac app requires using a function in Excel—e.g. changing the case of the text in a cell. I was delighted to see that Easy CSV Editor has a whole Text Transformations menu.

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I’ve used this on the rare occasions I work directly on a CSV…

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Not sure what type of edits you need to do, but I use a plain-text editor. BBEdit usually on Mac, Textastic on iOS.

Open, edit, save, done.

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I just want to be able to edit it in something like a spreadsheet view. I realize I could edit the text itself in BBEdit - but I prefer the nicer visual. :slight_smile:

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I honestly never even knew such an app category existed, so you caught me by surprise there :slight_smile:

Guess it should have realized after having used “Bases” in Obsidian, of course, but old dogs, new tricks and all that…

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I use ModernCSV, installed via homebrew

Write up here Modern CSV Lets You Manipulate CSV Files Directly - Article Comments - TidBITS Talk

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You can work on CSV in Excel natively, just be aware that any non native CSV functionality will be lost on saving (e.g. column widths, colouring…)

You don’t have to save into xlsx or xls

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That’s correct. The only drawback is Excel’s “overhead” if you don’t require most of its functionality. Interestingly enough, it’s actually easier to clean and conform CSV file data in Excel’s Power Query Module than it is in Excel proper. Excel was built for computation and analysis; some of the functionality that you might need to clean up a CSV file is either not there or is cumbersome to access.

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+1 for Easy CSV Editor. I picked it up for what sounds like your exact use-case, and I haven’t looked back. It’s quick, easy, and is easier to use (and looks better) than Libre Office. I don’t use Microsoft products and Numbers is overkill for quick tables, although Numbers still looks awesome.