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.tsv

Tab-Separated Values

Spreadsheets

TSV is tab-delimited text. Like CSV it needs agreed encoding, line endings and quoting conventions. Specify column types during import to protect leading zeros and prevent unintended date conversion.

Main use
Tabular data with tab-delimited columns
Data type
Text data
All sections, questions and sources

Content reviewed： · Editor：Kai

Opening steps

Choose your environment or purpose to see its steps.

Spreadsheet text import / pandas

Preserve the original and inspect a working copy in a compatible application.

  1. Use text import and explicitly choose tab as delimiter.
  2. Check encoding and row/column boundaries in preview.
  3. Import identifiers as text and compare first/last records.
Inspect the received file and its requirements

Establish dependencies and settings before proceeding.

  1. Establish header, column count and field types/meaning.
  2. Ask how tabs/newlines inside values are encoded.
  3. Agree on encoding and missing-value representation.

Menu labels and support vary by app, OS and version. Preserve the original before making changes.

Troubleshooting by symptom

  • Everything in one column: verify tab-delimited import.
  • 001 becomes 1: reimport the original as text.
  • Japanese text garbled: specify the correct encoding.
  • Rows shift: inspect embedded tabs/newlines and quoting conventions.

TSV → XLSX / CSV

  1. Import with explicit types and save a separate copy in the desired format.
  2. Compare row/column counts, leading zeros, long IDs, dates and missing values after export.

TSV normally lacks workbook formatting/formula structures; CSV conversion requires delimiter/quoting checks.

Protect numeric-looking identifiers

Postal/product codes and long IDs may be identifiers rather than quantities. Formatting after import cannot reliably restore lost zeros or rounded digits.

Source for these steps：IANA · text/tab-separated-values registration / pandas project · pandas.read_csv

Worked example: checks before handoff

Example: import code 000123 as text, then compare record counts and representative IDs with the original text.

Source for these steps：IANA · text/tab-separated-values registration / pandas project · pandas.read_csv

Related-format differences

Related-format differences
Format / methodPurpose and preserved information
.tsvTabular data with tab-delimited columns
CSV / XLSXCSV commonly uses commas; XLSX is a workbook with sheets/types/formatting.
TSV → XLSX / CSVTSV normally lacks workbook formatting/formula structures; CSV conversion requires delimiter/quoting checks.

Handling and security

External tabular data can contain formula-like text; import as text when required.

Questions and answers

Can I rename TSV to CSV?

Renaming leaves tabs unchanged; import as tabs or parse/export CSV.

Can I distinguish tabs from spaces visually?

Use visible-whitespace display or import preview rather than appearance alone.

Are quoting rules universal?

Conventions differ; test values containing tabs/newlines with the intended importer.

Format facts: name, steward and MIME type
Formal name
Tab-Separated Values
Steward / specification
IANA
MIME type
text/tab-separated-values

Primary and official sources