---
obj: application
repo: https://github.com/ys-l/csvlens
rev: 2025-01-31
---

# csvlens
`csvlens` is a command line CSV file viewer. It is like `less` but made
for CSV.

## Usage
Run `csvlens` by providing the CSV filename:

```
csvlens <filename>
```

Pipe CSV data directly to `csvlens`:

```
<your commands producing some csv data> | csvlens
```

### Key bindings

| Key                          | Action                                                             |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `hjkl` (or `← ↓ ↑→ `)        | Scroll one row or column in the given direction                    |
| `Ctrl + f` (or `Page Down`)  | Scroll one window down                                             |
| `Ctrl + b` (or `Page Up`)    | Scroll one window up                                               |
| `Ctrl + d` (or `d`)          | Scroll half a window down                                          |
| `Ctrl + u` (or `u`)          | Scroll half a window up                                            |
| `Ctrl + h`                   | Scroll one window left                                             |
| `Ctrl + l`                   | Scroll one window right                                            |
| `Ctrl + ←`                   | Scroll left to first column                                        |
| `Ctrl + →`                   | Scroll right to last column                                        |
| `G` (or `End`)               | Go to bottom                                                       |
| `g` (or `Home`)              | Go to top                                                          |
| `<n>G`                       | Go to line `n`                                                     |
| `/<regex>`                   | Find content matching regex and highlight matches                  |
| `n` (in Find mode)           | Jump to next result                                                |
| `N` (in Find mode)           | Jump to previous result                                            |
| `&<regex>`                   | Filter rows using regex (show only matches)                        |
| `*<regex>`                   | Filter columns using regex (show only matches)                     |
| `TAB`                        | Toggle between row, column or cell selection modes                 |
| `>`                          | Increase selected column's width                                   |
| `<`                          | Decrease selected column's width                                   |
| `Shift + ↓` (or `Shift + j`) | Sort rows or toggle sort direction by the selected column          |
| `#` (in Cell mode)           | Find and highlight rows like the selected cell                     |
| `@` (in Cell mode)           | Filter rows like the selected cell                                 |
| `y`                          | Copy the selected row or cell to clipboard                         |
| `Enter` (in Cell mode)       | Print the selected cell to stdout and exit                         |
| `-S`                         | Toggle line wrapping                                               |
| `-W`                         | Toggle line wrapping by words                                      |
| `r`                          | Reset to default view (clear all filters and custom column widths) |
| `H` (or `?`)                 | Display help                                                       |
| `q`                          | Exit                                                               |

### Optional parameters

* `-d <char>`: Use this delimiter when parsing the CSV
  (e.g. `csvlens file.csv -d '\t'`).

  Specify `-d auto` to auto-detect the delimiter.

* `-t`, `--tab-separated`: Use tab as the delimiter (when specified, `-d` is ignored).

* `-i`, `--ignore-case`: Ignore case when searching. This flag is ignored if any
  uppercase letters are present in the search string.

* `--no-headers`: Do not interpret the first row as headers.

* `--columns <regex>`: Use this regex to select columns to display by default.

* `--filter <regex>`: Use this regex to filter rows to display by default.

* `--find <regex>`: Use this regex to find and highlight matches by default.

* `--echo-column <column_name>`: Print the value of this column at the selected
  row to stdout on `Enter` key and then exit.