CSV File creating and formatting

This page outlines best practices for preparing CSV files that can be easily parsed and imported into Graphite Note.

Formatting Recommendations

1. Include a Header Row

• The first line should clearly list column names (e.g., customer_id, date, purchase_amount).

• Avoid using spaces or special characters in header names; if needed, use underscores or camelCase.

---

2. Check Delimiters

• Ensure the file uses a consistent delimiter (most commonly a comma , or semicolon ;).

• If your data contains commas within fields, enclose those fields in quotes (e.g., "123, Main Street").

---

3. Use UTF-8 Encoding

• Always save or export your file in UTF-8 format to avoid character encoding issues.

• This helps ensure Graphite Note can accurately parse all characters, including accented letters.

---

4. Date and Time Formats

• Use consistent date formats (e.g., YYYY-MM-DD) or a well-defined datetime format (e.g., YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS).

• This helps Graphite Note accurately recognize date/time fields.

---

5. Handling Special Characters

• If your data contains quotes, commas, or other punctuation, ensure those fields are properly escaped or wrapped in quotes to prevent parsing errors.

---

6. Remove Unused Columns

• If possible, eliminate columns that you do not plan to analyze. This helps keep the CSV file size smaller and easier to handle.

---

7. Adhere to the 50 MB File Size Limit

• Graphite Note limits CSV uploads to 50 MB to ensure optimal performance and resource usage.

• If your file exceeds 50 MB, try splitting it into multiple CSVs or removing unnecessary columns and rows.

• For significantly larger datasets, consider connecting directly to a database (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, BigQuery) to feed data into Graphite Note.

---

How to Create a CSV File from Excel?

1. Open Your Spreadsheet in Excel

• Make sure you review and clean up any unnecessary columns or rows before exporting.

2. Save As CSV

• Click on File → Save As (or Save a Copy in newer versions).

• Select CSV (Comma delimited) or CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) in the Save as type dropdown menu.

• Choose a file name and location, then click Save.

3. Verify Encoding

• If possible, choose CSV UTF-8 when saving.

• If CSV UTF-8 is not available, you may need to convert the file encoding separately (e.g., using a text editor like VSCode or Notepad++).

4. Confirm Data Integrity

• Open the resulting CSV file in a plain text editor to verify that the column names and any special characters appear correctly.

---