CSV parsers in Node.js – Top 5

In this article, we will explore the top 5 CSV parsers in Node.js, providing you with options to easily integrate into your projects.

Working with CSV files is a common task for developers, and Node.js offers excellent libraries to parse and process these types of files. To efficiently handle CSV parsing in Node.js, several csv-parsers-nodejs are available.

Best CSV Parsers in Node.js

 

Table of Contents

 

1. PapaParse

PapaParse is a powerful and versatile JavaScript library designed for parsing CSV (Comma Separated Values) files in web applications. Known for its fast performance and ease of use, it provides robust tools for converting CSV data into JSON and handling large files efficiently.

const Papa = require('papaparse');
const fs = require('fs');

let csvData = fs.readFileSync('path/to/your/file.csv', 'utf8');
Papa.parse(csvData, {
    complete: function(results) {
        console.log("Finished:", results.data);
    }
});

Output:

[
    { "Column1": "Value1", "Column2": "Value2",... },
    ...
]

 

2. csv-parser

csv-parser is a Node.js library for parsing CSV data. It’s stream-based, making it very fast and capable of handling large datasets without a hitch.

const csv = require('csv-parser');
const fs = require('fs');
const results = [];

fs.createReadStream('path/to/your/file.csv')
  .pipe(csv())
  .on('data', (data) => results.push(data))
  .on('end', () => {
    console.log(results);
  });

Output:

[
    { "Column1": "Value1", "Column2": "Value2",... },
    ...
]

 

3. fast-csv

fast-csv is one of the quickest cv-parsers-nodejs that provides simple APIs to parse CSV files, support for transforming data, and streaming APIs.

const fastcsv = require('fast-csv');
const fs = require('fs');

let stream = fs.createReadStream('path/to/your/file.csv');
let csvData = [];
fastcsv
  .parseStream(stream, { headers: true })
  .on('data', function(data) {
    csvData.push(data);
  })
  .on('end', function() {
    console.log(csvData);
  });

Output:

[
    { "Column1": "Value1", "Column2": "Value2",... },
    ...
]

 

4. neat-csv

neat-csv is a convenient wrapper for csv-parser, offering a simple promise-based API for parsing CSV files.

const neatCsv = require('neat-csv');
const fs = require('fs');

async function parseCSV(filePath) {
  const data = fs.readFileSync(filePath);
  const parsedData = await neatCsv(data);
  console.log(parsedData);
}

parseCSV('path/to/your/file.csv');

Output:

[
    { "Column1": "Value1", "Column2": "Value2",... },
    ...
]

 

5. csvtojson

The csvtojson module is a full-featured CSV parser that converts CSV to JSON format, with fast performance and a simple API.

const csvToJson = require('csvtojson');

csvToJson()
  .fromFile('path/to/your/file.csv')
  .then((jsonObj) => {
    console.log(jsonObj);
  });

Output:

[
    { "Column1": "Value1", "Column2": "Value2",... },
    ...
]

 

Conclusive Summary

To handle CSV parsing in Node.js with ease, developers can turn to the five powerful csv-parsers-nodejs highlighted in this listicle. PapaParse is great for handling large files, csv-parser streamlines the parsing process, fast-csv emphasizes speed with streaming, neat-csv simplifies parsing with a promise-based API, and csvtojson provides a seamless CSV to JSON conversion. While each parser comes with its unique set of features, they all provide reliable and efficient mechanisms to tackle different CSV parsing requirements in Node.js applications.

References