Mastering CSV Files in Python: A Beginner’s Guide

Effortlessly read, write, and manipulate CSV data with these easy-to-follow examples

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

As a Python programmer, you’ll often encounter the need to work with Comma-Separated Value (CSV) files. These simple, yet powerful, data formats are widely used for storing and exchanging tabular data.

Whether you’re analyzing sales figures, managing inventory, or processing scientific data, the ability to read and write CSV files is an essential skill. In this article, we’ll explore the built-in Python module csv and walk through practical examples to help you become a CSV file handling pro.

By the end, you'll be able to confidently read, write, and manipulate CSV data in your Python projects.

Reading CSV Files

Let’s start by learning how to read CSV files in Python. The csv module provides the reader() function, which allows you to easily iterate through the rows of a CSV file.

import csv

# Open the CSV file
with open('data.csv', 'r') as file:
    # Create a CSV reader object
    reader = csv.reader(file)
    
    # Iterate through the rows
    for row in reader:
        print(row)