We can use a CSV file to move data between programs that are usually unable to exchange data.
A CSV file is a simple text file that can be opened in a variety of programs. A CSV file (comma separated values) is a plain text file in which information divided by commas. CSV files are most often found in spreadsheets and databases. We can use a CSV file to move data between programs that are usually unable to exchange data.
A CSV file, as the name implies, usually shares information using commas. It is a way of exchanging structured information, such as the contents of a spreadsheet, between programs that may not necessarily read each other directly. As long as two programs can open a CSV file, they can exchange data. For example, you can save contact information from Microsoft Excel as a CSV file and import it into the address book in Microsoft Outlook. A CSV file looks like this, where each row contains the same data sequence, so every program that needs to read it knows what to expect: • Product, Size, Color, Price • Shirt, medium, blue, $ 14 • Shirt, large, red, $ 15 • Trousers, medium, blue, $ 23 Regardless of the name, a CSV file does not need to rely on commas as a separator between pieces of information. This separator, called the delimiter, can be a semicolon, space, or some other character, although commas are more common.
We will extract a CSV file using a Node.js module called json2csv. We will be using json2csv because it is an easy-to-use library – it can just take a set of objects and convert them to a CSV file.
In the terminal/command line type the npm command of json2csv in the directory where you want to install this module. If the module was successfully installed it should look like this:
+ json2csv@5.0.6
added 4 packages from 6 contributors and audited 4 packages in 1.796s
found 0 vulnerabilities
'use strict'
const fs = require(‘fs’)
const { Parser } = require(‘json2csv’)'use strict'
const fs = require(‘fs’)
const { Parser } = require(‘json2csv’)
const someData = [{
‘Firstname’: ‘Besar’,
‘Lastname’: ‘Bilalli’,
“Company”: ‘solution25’
}, {
‘Firstname’: ‘Besnik’,
‘Lastname’: ‘Bilalli’,
“Company”: ‘solution25’
}, {
‘Firstname’: ‘Fatlum’,
‘Lastname’: ‘Berisha’,
“Company”: ‘solution25’
}]
const fields = Object.keys(someData[0])'use strict'
const fs = require(‘fs’)
const { Parser } = require(‘json2csv’)
const someData = [{
‘Firstname’: ‘Besar’,
‘Lastname’: ‘Bilalli’,
“Company”: ‘solution25’
}, {
‘Firstname’: ‘Besnik’,
‘Lastname’: ‘Bilalli’,
“Company”: ‘solution25’
}, {
‘Firstname’: ‘Fatlum’,
‘Lastname’: ‘Berisha’,
“Company”: ‘solution25’
}]
const fields = Object.keys(someData[0])
const csv = new Parser({fields})'use strict'
const fs = require(‘fs’)
const { Parser } = require(‘json2csv’)
const someData = [{
‘Firstname’: ‘Besar’,
‘Lastname’: ‘Bilalli’,
“Company”: ‘solution25’
}, {
‘Firstname’: ‘Besnik’,
‘Lastname’: ‘Bilalli’,
“Company”: ‘solution25’
}, {
‘Firstname’: ‘Fatlum’,
‘Lastname’: ‘Berisha’,
“Company”: ‘solution25’
}]
const fields = Object.keys(someData[0])
const csv = new Parser({ fields })
fs.writFile(‘csvfile.csv’, csv.parse(someData), function (err) {
if (err) {
console.error(err);
throw err
} else {
console.log(‘csv file is saved’);
}
})If you want to know more about e-commerce development platforms or apps, read our blog posts for Shopify and Shopware. Our dedicated outsourcing team can be your collaborator in ecommerce.
Blerona Idrizi Back-end developer
