Frequenty Asked Questions

What versions of .Net/Visual Studio does CSV Engine support?

The CSV Engine installation package contains versions compiled against .Net 1.1, 2.0 and 3.5 and tailored for specific versions of Visual Studio, 2003 through 2008. The code is also compatible with various versions of the .Net Compact Framework but you will need to compile the code for the appropriate environment.

Can multiple versions be installed at one time?

Yes. Each version is handled as a seperate, distinct product. This allows you to support versions tailored for specific runtimes without conflict.

Does CSV Engine support intellisense?

Yes. CSV Engine supports intellisense in the versions of Visual Studio indicated above.

Can I use CSV Engine in my C# or VB.Net project?

Yes. CSV Engine can be used with equal ease by any .Net language.

In what language is CSV Engine written?

CSV Engine is written in C# and all the code packaged with CSV Engine is also written in C#.

What coding standards are used?

The design of the CSV Engine and the coding style it employs emphasize clarity and simplicity without sacrificing utility. A description of the coding style is installed with the CSV Engine package. More information about the approach used in the development of CSV Engine can be found at Coding for Clarity

Will you be providing a version using VB.Net code?

No plans are in place to provide a version in any other language. You are free translate the code to other languages if you wish to implement alterations or customizations in that language, however the original license requirements still apply to the translated code.

How fast is CSV Engine?

Processing speed depends a lot on the environment in which the component is running and what you're doing with the data. CSV Engine is stream based for efficiency and, on a mid range pentium test machine circa 2005, can consistently read a one million row, 25 megabyte file in around 2.5 seconds.

Can CSV Engine handle my Tab delimited files?

Yes. CSV Engine can be configured to handle tab delimited files or other custom file formats. Several common formats are preconfigured within the library and can be easily specified.

I have a delimited file CSV Engine can't read. What do I do?

CSV Engine is reasonably configurable, but it is conceivable that edge cases exist that it is not designed to handle. For example, you might have a file that uses the phrase "Kangaroo" to delimit each field. In such bizarre circumstances you can modify the code to handle your specific edge case.

Can CSV Engine read my fixed width files?

At the moment CSV Engine does not support fixed width parsing. That may be an option in future versions.

Which installer should I download?

There are two installers provided for download. The Amateur edition and the Master edition. Some features are not available in the Amateur edition, which is provided for the purposes of evaluation or for non-commercial use. If you require the additional features or wish to use the CSV Engine in a commercial context, then you must obtain a license to the Master edition.

There's no code for the CSV Console and CSV Editor applications in my installation.

The code for these two applications is only provided with a Master edition. You will need to download the Master edition to review the code of those applications. Additionally, some of the features of the CSV Console application are not available in the Amateur edition.

How can I report a bug or make a suggestion?

Use the contact form and enter the appropriate information or steps to reproduce the problem.

What help is provided?

CSV Engine installs a very thorough compiled help file which describes all the available classes and attributes and various code samples. A web accessible version is also available here.

My question wasn't answered. What now?

Send an enquiry though the contact form.