# Separation Configurations

**Separation Configurations**

This section controls the characters used to structure and organize data in the CSV file, defining how fields, rows, and multiple values are separated.

[![image-1756458481447.png](https://manual.vtenext.ch/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/YYUkcYixRjQ8EytL-image-1756458481447.png)](https://manual.vtenext.ch/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/YYUkcYixRjQ8EytL-image-1756458481447.png)

**"Field Separator":** defines the character that divides columns in the CSV file:

- **Comma (,) - International standard**
    
    
    - Format: "Field1","Field2","Field3"
    - Universal compatibility with all software
    - Recommended for most use cases
- **Semicolon (;) - European standard**
    
    
    - Format: "Field1";"Field2";"Field3"
    - Used in countries that employ comma as decimal separator
    - Compatible with European locale settings in Excel
- **Tab (\\t) - Tab separator**
    
    
    - Invisible but very effective for complex data
    - Ideal when text contains commas and semicolons
    - Excellent readability when opened in text editors

**Row Separator:** determines the character that indicates the end of each record:

- **LF (\\n) - Line Feed (Recommended):**
    
    
    - Unix/Linux and modern macOS standard
    - Optimal compatibility with modern software
    - Reduced file sizes
- **CRLF (\\r\\n) - Carriage Return + Line Feed**
    
    
    - Traditional Windows standard
    - Required for compatibility with legacy Windows software
    - Slightly larger files
- **CR (\\r) - Carriage Return**
    
    
    - Classic Mac standard (pre-OS X)
    - Rarely used in modern systems
    - Maintained for historical compatibility

**Multiselect Picklist Separator:** handles fields that can contain multiple values:

- **Double Pipe (||) - Recommended**
    
    
    - Example: "Value1||Value2||Value3"
    - Distinctive separator that rarely appears in data
    - Easy to identify and process programmatically
- **Semicolon (;)**
    
    
    - Example: "Value1;Value2;Value3"
    - More readable alternative for end users
    - Caution not to confuse with field separator
- **Comma (,)**
    
    
    - Example: "Value1,Value2,Value3"
    - Not recommended if comma is also the field separator
    - Can cause interpretation issues

**Practical Usage Examples**

Multiselection field "Product Categories":

- With ||: "Electronics||Computer||Gaming"
- With ;: "Electronics;Computer;Gaming"
- With ,: "Electronics,Computer,Gaming" (problematic if , is field separator)

**Recommendation:** Use comma (,) as field separator, LF (\\n) as row separator, and double pipe (||) for multiselections to ensure maximum compatibility and clarity in data structure.