CSV to JSON conversion is the process of transforming a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file into a JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format. CSV is commonly used for storing tabular data in a plain text format, while JSON is a lightweight data-interchange format often used for APIs and web applications.
In a CSV file, data is typically arranged in rows and columns. JSON, on the other hand, organizes data into key-value pairs and can handle nested structures.
Example Conversion:
CSV Input:
csv
Name,Age,Country
John,28,USA
Jane,22,Canada
Tom,30,UK
Converted JSON Output:
json
[
{
"Name": "John",
"Age": 28,
"Country": "USA"
},
{
"Name": "Jane",
"Age": 22,
"Country": "Canada"
},
{
"Name": "Tom",
"Age": 30,
"Country": "UK"
}
]
Steps to Convert CSV to JSON:
Read the CSV Data: First, open the CSV file or input the CSV data as a string.
Parse the CSV: Split the CSV data into rows, and further split each row by commas to extract individual values.
Map the Data: Use the column headers (the first row of CSV) as keys for each entry, and create an object for each row.
Output the JSON: Finally, generate the JSON format by combining the data in key-value pairs.
When to Use CSV to JSON Conversion:
APIs: When your data needs to be consumed by web services or APIs in JSON format.
Data Exchange: JSON is widely used for data exchange between systems, especially in web and mobile apps.
Structured Data: JSON allows for easy representation of hierarchical or structured data, while CSV is flat.
Data Persistence: JSON is better suited for storing complex data compared to CSV, especially when it includes nested objects or arrays.