Definition: CSV

(1) See computer system validation and software validation.

(2) (Comma Separated Values) Also called "comma delimited," CSV is a text-based data format that separates fields with a comma and ends with a line break (although a few implementations support line breaks within the record). Widely used as a data exchange format, spreadsheets as well as many other business applications can read and write comma delimited files. The text may be surrounded with quotes as follows. See TSV.

  Pat Smith,Bath,PA,18014
  "Pat Smith","Bath","PA","18014"

  Ken Salazar,New York,NY,10001
  "Ken Salazar","New York","NY","10001"

Commas and Double Quotes
If the data contain commas, those fields must be quoted. If the data contain double quotes, the field must be quoted and two double quotes must be used:

   text:  the "Black Friday" discount

    CSV:  "the ""Black Friday"" discount"

Decimal Commas
Europe, Russia, Central and South America and some African countries use a comma for a decimal point, in which case, the CSV format would use a tab character or semicolon instead of the comma.

  Pat Smith;Bath,PA;18014
  Ken Salazar;New York;NY;10001