# CSV File creating and formatting

## 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.

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### 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").

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### 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.

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### 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.

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### 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.

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### 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.

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### 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.

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## 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.

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