csv.js

A simple CSV parser in JavaScript for the browser (and nodejs)

Features

• Parse CSV to 2-dimension String array
• Specify column names or use the first row as column names
• Custom delimeter, quote character and row delimeter

Example

See test.js

Low-level API

CSV.CSVParser(String str, Object options)

Construct a CSVParser. A CSVParser hold some parser states.

options is an object that can have 3 properties: 'delim', 'quote', 'rowdelim'

Example:

var parser = new CSV.CSVParser('a\tb\tc', {delim:'\t',quote:'"',rowdelim:'\r\n'});
while (parser.hasNext()) {
	var row = parser.nextRow();
	// do something with row
}

Every time you call nextRow, the parser will parse next portion of input. This allows you parse only front part of a string with the remainder untouched. You can stop anywhere.

boolean CSVParser.hasNext()

String[] CSVParser.nextRow()

High-level API

All high-level APIs are implemented by the low-level API in a few lines. See bottom part of csv.js

String[][] CSV.parse(String str, Object options)

String[] CSV.parseOne(String str, Object options)

Object[] CSV.bindColumns(String[][] rows, String[] columns)

If specified, use columns as column names. Otherwise use the first row.

Dependency

• runtime: no
• test: nodejs

Run test

node test.js
firefox test.htm

Performance Benchmark

CSV.js vs jquery-csv

Compatibility

csv.js can be used with:

• browser
• nodejs
• AMD / CMD / require.js

Standard compliance

This implementation is compliant to RFC4180, except for the default line delimeter: this implementation use \n, but RFC4180 states it should be \r\n.

Use the following code if you want strict RFC4180 behavior:

CSV.DefaultOptions.rowdelim = '\r\n';

Under the hood

This is a PEG (Parsing Expression Grammar) parser, written in recursive descent style.

The PEG I use is taken from lpeg's homepage (in Lua):

field = '"' * ((lpeg.P(1) - '"') + lpeg.P'""')^0 * '"' +
		(1 - lpeg.S',\n"')^0
record = field * (',' * field)^0 * (lpeg.P'\n' + -1)

Links

• 写了个简单的 javascript CSV parser