# CSV Formats

> **TL;DR**
> `File | Settings | Tools | Database | CSV Formats` for Windows and Linux
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>
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> `IntelliJ IDEA | Settings | Tools | Database | CSV Formats` for macOS

This dialog contains the settings for converting table data into delimiter-separated values formats (for example, CSV, TSV) and vice versa.

This conversion is used to do the following:

* [View and edit the contents of DSV files as tables.](editing-csv-and-tsv-files.html#open_data_editor)

* [Export the data to clipboard or to files.](export-data.html#methods-for-exporting-data)

* [Copy or view the data in data editor.](import-data.html#import_csv)

![The CSV Formats menu of the Database settings](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/settings_database_csv_formats.png)

Preview is limited with 10 records to prevent the rest of the data from loading. When you change settings, the preview changes correspondingly.

| Item | Description |
| --- | --- |
|  Formats  |    Select a template that successfully converts the file data into a table. You can change settings of predefined templates or add a new template. To add a template, click Add Format button (![the Add Format icon](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app-client.expui.general.add.svg)).        Use the Add Format (![](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app-client.expui.general.add.svg)), Remove Format (![](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.remove.svg)), Up (![](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.up.svg)) and Down (![](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.down.svg)) buttons to create, delete and reorder the formats; Copy Format (![the Copy Format icon](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app-client.expui.general.copy.svg)) to create a copy of the selected format.                      |
|  Value separator  |  Select or type the character that you want to use as a separator for values.  |
|  Row separator  |  Select or type the character that you want to use as a separator for rows.  |
|  Null value text  |  Select or type the text that you want to use if a cell contains the `NULL` value.  |
|  Add row prefix/suffix  | Click the link and type a row prefix and suffix. Prefix and suffix are character sequences which in addition to the row separator indicate the beginning and end of a row.  |
|  Quotation  |    Each line in the area under Quotation is a quotation pattern. A quotation pattern includes:        * Left: a quotation character that is inserted before a value.    * Right: a quotation character that is inserted after a value.    * Escape: an escape method or character for the cases when the quotation character is part of a value. The <duplicate> value means that if a quotation character occurs within a value, it is doubled. You can specify your own escape character.      If there is more than one pattern, the first pattern is used.       Use the Add (![](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app-client.expui.general.add.svg)), Remove (![](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.remove.svg)), Up (![](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.up.svg)) and Down (![](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.down.svg)) buttons to create, delete and reorder the patterns.     |
|  Quote values  |    Select when you want to enclose values within quotation characters.       * Never: do not quote values.    * When needed: quote a value if it contains the value or the row separator.    * Always: quote all the values.    |
|  Trim whitespaces  | Ignore or remove whitespace characters. If this checkbox is cleared, the whitespace characters are treated as parts of the corresponding values.  |
|  First row is header  |  Treat the first row as a row that contains column names.  |
|  First column is header  |  Treat the first column as a column that contains row names.  |