Top Android CSV Libraries

Top Android CSV Libraries.

Introduction

CSV (Comma Separated Values) is a commonly used file format for storing tabular data. Android developers often need to work with CSV files to read or write data. To simplify this process, several libraries are available that provide convenient features for CSV parsing, writing, and manipulation. In this tutorial, we will explore some of the top Android CSV libraries and demonstrate their usage with code examples.

Installation

To use these libraries in your Android project, you can add the dependencies to your app-level build.gradle file.

1. OpenCSV

OpenCSV is a widely-used and feature-rich library for reading and writing CSV files in Java. It provides flexible options for parsing and manipulating CSV data.

Gradle Dependency:

implementation 'com.opencsv:opencsv:5.3'

Usage Example:

CSVReader reader = new CSVReader(new FileReader("data.csv"));
String[] nextLine;
while ((nextLine = reader.readNext()) != null) {
    // Process each row
    for (String cell : nextLine) {
        // Process each cell
    }
}
reader.close();

2. Apache Commons CSV

Apache Commons CSV is another popular library that provides a simple API for reading and writing CSV files. It offers various options for configuring CSV parsing and writing behavior.

Gradle Dependency:

implementation 'org.apache.commons:commons-csv:1.8'

Usage Example:

CSVFormat format = CSVFormat.DEFAULT.withHeader().withDelimiter(',');
CSVParser parser = CSVParser.parse(new FileReader("data.csv"), format);
for (CSVRecord record : parser) {
    // Access data using header names
    String name = record.get("Name");
    int age = Integer.parseInt(record.get("Age"));
    // Process data
}
parser.close();

3. Super CSV

Super CSV is a highly configurable and extensible library for reading and writing CSV files. It supports advanced features like cell processors for data type conversion and validation.

Gradle Dependency:

implementation 'net.sf.supercsv:super-csv:2.4.0'

Usage Example:

ICsvBeanReader beanReader = new CsvBeanReader(new FileReader("data.csv"), CsvPreference.STANDARD_PREFERENCE);
String[] header = beanReader.getHeader(true);
MyBean bean;
while ((bean = beanReader.read(MyBean.class, header)) != null) {
    // Access bean properties
    String name = bean.getName();
    int age = bean.getAge();
    // Process data
}
beanReader.close();

4. Univocity-parsers

Univocity-parsers is a fast and efficient library for parsing CSV files in Java. It provides a simple and easy-to-use API for reading and writing CSV data.

Gradle Dependency:

implementation 'com.univocity:univocity-parsers:2.9.1'

Usage Example:

CsvParserSettings settings = new CsvParserSettings();
settings.setHeaderExtractionEnabled(true);
CsvParser parser = new CsvParser(settings);
parser.beginParsing(new FileReader("data.csv"));
String[] row;
while ((row = parser.parseNext()) != null) {
    // Process each row
    for (String cell : row) {
        // Process each cell
    }
}
parser.stopParsing();

Additional Libraries

Here are a few more Android CSV libraries that you can explore:

• CSV-Parser: A lightweight and high-performance library for parsing CSV files. Github
• Jackson Dataformat CSV: A part of the Jackson JSON processing library that provides CSV reading and writing capabilities. Github
• SimpleFlatMapper: A powerful and flexible library for mapping CSV data to Java objects. Github

Feel free to explore these libraries based on your specific requirements.

In this tutorial, we have explored the features and installation of the top Android CSV libraries. These libraries offer various options for parsing, writing, and manipulating CSV data in your Android applications. Choose the one that best suits your needs and integrate it into your project for seamless CSV handling. Happy coding!