#03-015

What is a Comma Delimited File?

A Comma Delimited file, also known as Comma Separated or CSV, is a simple ASCII file used to store a list of information or a database. Each line in the file is a separate record, and each field is separated by a comma.

Most database and spreadsheet programs can export their data in the CSV format. You can also use WordExpress to produce one (remember to save it as a text file if using a word processor).

The best way to demonstrate a CSV file is to see a short example:

   "Name","Address","City","State","Zip"
   "Amanda Huggenkiss","2736 Teresita","Carlsbad","CA","92008"
   "Ivana Tinkle","15 Freely Dr.","Beverly Hills","CA","90210"
   "Seymour Butz","311 Moonlight Way","Bozeman","MT","59715"
   "Oliver Clothesoff","P.O. Box 4775","San Diego","CA","92123"

One special record is the first one, which is used to describe the field's intended use. When you go to Insert a Merge Field, it will use this descriptive name rather than Field 1, Field 2, etc., making it much easier to design merge job.