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A CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file is a simple text file used to store tabular data such as a spreadsheet or database. Each line in a CSV file corresponds to a data record, with individual fields separated by commas. This format is widely used for data exchange between systems and applications because it is easy to read, write, and process, both manually and programmatically. CSV files are compatible with a variety of software, including Excel, Google Sheets, and most database management systems, making them a versatile and efficient choice for data management.
UTF-8 (Unicode Transformation Format - 8-bit) is a character encoding standard that allows computers to represent and manipulate text. It is capable of encoding all possible characters from the Unicode standard, covering virtually all languages and symbols used worldwide. UTF-8 is highly efficient, using one to four bytes per character, and is backward compatible with ASCII, making it a preferred choice for web pages, email, and other text-based data exchanges. Its widespread adoption ensures consistent and reliable text representation across different platforms and systems, enhancing data interoperability and accessibility.
Importing non-UTF-8 CSV files often leads to significant issues due to incompatible character encodings. When a CSV file is not encoded in UTF-8, special characters, symbols, or even simple accented letters can become corrupted during import, resulting in garbled text or "mojibake." This happens because the software may misinterpret the byte sequences, leading to data loss or misrepresentation. Additionally, non-UTF-8 encodings can cause compatibility problems between different systems and applications, complicating data exchange and processing. Ensuring CSV files are encoded in UTF-8 is crucial for maintaining data integrity and avoiding these common pitfalls.