CSV to ASCII table
Convert CSV to Text table as you type. Nothing is uploaded, and the result can be previewed as a table, copied or downloaded.
Loading the converter… It runs locally in your browser.
How to convert CSV to Text table
- Paste your CSV into the input panel, drop a file onto it, or press “Open file”.
- Adjust the options above the panels (delimiter, header row, alignment and so on).
- Check the result: switch the output to “Table” view to see it as a grid.
- Press “Copy” or “Download .txt”. The conversion runs on your device, so large files never leave it.
The output uses Unicode box-drawing borders. For plain +-| ASCII, reStructuredText or borderless output, open the ASCII table generator and use Import data.
About CSV
Comma-separated values: one record per line, fields split by a delimiter, and fields that contain the delimiter, quotes or line breaks wrapped in double quotes (RFC 4180).
About Text table
A plain-text table drawn with box-drawing characters and padded with spaces so it lines up in any monospaced font: terminals, code comments, plain-text email.
Why some CSV fields get quotes
A CSV field only needs double quotes when it contains the delimiter, a double quote or a line break. A quote inside a field is written twice ("Katherine ""Kay"" Johnson"). Our interactive CSV format guide lets you type a value and watch exactly which rule applies.
Questions people ask
Is my CSV data uploaded anywhere?
No. The CSV to Text table conversion runs entirely in your browser with JavaScript. The page works offline once it has loaded, and TableForge never receives your data.
How large a file can I convert?
The limit is your device's memory. Files of tens of megabytes (hundreds of thousands of rows) convert fine on a typical laptop. The preview shows the first 200 rows, but the download always contains every row.
Does the converter keep special characters and commas?
Yes. Fields containing commas, quotes or line breaks are quoted and escaped according to each format's rules, and text is read and written as UTF-8, so accents, CJK characters and emoji survive.
Can I convert Text table back to CSV?
Yes, if Text table is a readable format: the universal converter on the TableForge home page takes CSV, TSV, JSON, XML, YAML, Excel, Markdown, HTML tables and SQL inserts as input.