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.

"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.