Read CSV files
Description
The Read CSV Files activity reads and parses comma-separated value (CSV) files from either the workflow directory or a previous activity. It transforms flat-file data into structured tabular format for use in data processing workflows.
It supports flexible options such as custom delimiters, newline specifiers, and error handling to accommodate a variety of CSV formats generated from different systems or tools.
Use this activity to:
- Ingest data exported from external systems in CSV format
- Load tabular data for transformation, filtering, or aggregation
- Preprocess uploaded files in workflows
Use case: A user uploads a set of sales reports in CSV format. The workflow uses this activity to read the files, process the sales data, and generate analytics or summaries.
Input
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Files | CSV files must be provided by a previous file-based activity or stored in the workflow’s directory. |
Output
| Output Type | Format | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Data | Table | Parsed rows and columns from the CSV. |
| Field Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Input File Pattern | Specifies the naming pattern of CSV files to be read. Supports wildcards (e.g., report_*.csv) or exact filenames. | |
| Separator | Choose the delimiter that separates fields in the CSV file. Options typically include: • Comma ( ,) • Tab ( \t) • Semicolon ( ;) | |
| Custom Delimiter | Optional. Provide a custom delimiter character if the standard separators do not apply (e.g., ` | |
| Has Header Record | Indicates whether the first row of the CSV file contains column headers: • True – First row is used as column headers • False – All rows are treated as data | |
| New Line Specifier | Defines how new lines are represented in the file (e.g., \n, \r\n). Helps resolve parsing issues from different platforms. | |
| Ignore Errors In File | If enabled, the activity will skip rows with errors (e.g., inconsistent columns) instead of failing the entire operation. | |
| Take Files From Previous Activity | When enabled, the activity reads files generated or uploaded in the previous step. If disabled, it reads from the default workflow directory. |
Sample Input
Not Applicable
Sample Configuration
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Input File Pattern | sales_*.csv |
| Separator | Comma |
| Custom Delimiter | (blank) |
| Has Header Record | True |
| New Line Specifier | \n |
| Ignore Errors In File | Enabled |
| Take Files From Previous Activity | Enabled |
Sample Output
| OrderID | Customer | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1001 | John | 200.00 | Paid |
| 1002 | Alice | 150.00 | Pending |
| 1003 | Mark | 300.00 | Paid |
If a file has inconsistent row structures, those rows will be ignored if Ignore Errors In File is enabled.