CSV Console Table in PowerShell

This PowerShell implementation provides dynamic column type detection and data validation while creating clean, aligned console output - making it ideal for consistent data snapshots and type verification.

Features

• Dynamically detects and validates column types from CSV data
• Supports multiple data types: Int, Float, Bool, String, and Null
• Creates formatted console tables with proper alignment
• Validates subsequent rows against the detected schema
• Handles duplicate column names with automatic suffixes
• Limits output width with smart string truncation
• Saves output to both console and file

Example Input CSV (default.csv):

1,Welcome to dynamic-csv-headers.ps1 Welcome to csv_console_table.ps1,10.00
2,This is a sample data csv file,19.97
3,1st row: set header types,1.99
4,This file headers: 'int *char float *char',11.99
5,Unknown types become `*char/string`,19.97
6,'gcc -o xyz .\csv_processor.c -lm',19.17
7,'.\csv_console_table.ps1',19.84
8,'python -m grip README.md',16.89
9,'.\csv_console_table.ps1' yourfile.csv ,19.97

Example Output

Usage

• PowerShell:

  • .\csv_console_table.ps1 .\yourfile.csv (optional)

• BASH:

  • pwsh csv_console_table.ps1 yourfile.csv (optional)

Parameters

• DefaultFile: Path to CSV file (default: "default.csv")
• rowLimit: Maximum rows to process (range: 1-1000, default: 10)

Data Type Detection

• The script automatically detects these column types:
  • Int (whole numbers)
  • Float (decimal numbers)
  • Bool (true/false)
  • String (text)
  • Null (empty or null values)

Limitations

• The script assumes the first row contains column headers.
• Duplicate column names are not supported.
• The output width is limited to 120 characters.

Requirements

• PowerShell 7.0+
• Read access to CSV files

Purpose

• This PowerShell implementation offers:
  • Dynamic type detection and validation
  • Clean console output formatting
  • Data integrity verification
  • Platform independence
  • Educational resource for PowerShell scripting practices

Alternatives

• PowerShell:

  • Import-Csv "data.csv" | Format-Table

• BASH:

  • csvcut -c 1,2,3 default.csv

License

• This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.