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Function Signature

export const parseCsv = (raw: string): string[][]

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Parameters

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raw
string
required
The raw CSV string to parse

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Returns

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string[][]
array
A two-dimensional array where each inner array represents a row of CSV data, and each string represents a cell value

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Description

The parseCsv function parses a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) string into a structured two-dimensional array. It handles:
  • Quoted fields: Values enclosed in double quotes can contain commas and newlines
  • Escape sequences: Double quotes within quoted fields are escaped as "" (two consecutive quotes)
  • Line endings: Supports both \n and \r\n line endings
  • Whitespace trimming: Automatically trims whitespace from unquoted cell values

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Example Usage

import { parseCsv } from '@/features/labelwise/utils/csv'

// Basic CSV parsing
const basicCsv = 'Name,Age,City\nAlice,30,Seattle\nBob,25,Portland'
const result = parseCsv(basicCsv)
// Returns: [['Name', 'Age', 'City'], ['Alice', '30', 'Seattle'], ['Bob', '25', 'Portland']]

// CSV with quoted fields containing commas
const quotedCsv = 'Name,Description\n"Smith, John","Engineer, Senior"'
const quotedResult = parseCsv(quotedCsv)
// Returns: [['Name', 'Description'], ['Smith, John', 'Engineer, Senior']]

// CSV with escaped quotes
const escapedCsv = 'Quote,Author\n"He said ""Hello"" to me",John'
const escapedResult = parseCsv(escapedCsv)
// Returns: [['Quote', 'Author'], ['He said "Hello" to me', 'John']]

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Implementation Details

The parser uses a state machine approach with an inQuotes flag to track whether the current position is inside a quoted field. This allows it to correctly handle:
  • Commas inside quoted strings (not treated as delimiters)
  • Newlines inside quoted strings (not treated as row separators)
  • Escaped double quotes ("" becomes ")
  • Mixed quoted and unquoted fields in the same row

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