ASCIICSV

ASCIICSV is a colloquial term used to describe a comma-separated values file that is restricted to ASCII characters. It emphasizes compatibility with systems that do not reliably handle non-ASCII text, such as older databases, command-line tools, or legacy data pipelines.

In practice, ASCIICSV follows the general rules of CSV as described in common conventions, but it excludes characters outside the 7-bit ASCII range. Fields may be delimited by a comma and are typically allowed to contain quotes, newlines, or the delimiter when enclosed in double quotes. Inside a quoted field, two double quotes represent a literal quote.

Encoding decisions: the file should be saved as ASCII or as UTF-8 with non-ASCII characters transliterated or replaced. When non-ASCII data is unavoidable, ASCIICSV may not be suitable unless an explicit ASCII-compatible substitution is defined.

Purpose and use: ASCIICSV aims to maximize portability across environments with limited Unicode support, including legacy databases, batch import tools, and automation scripts. It reduces parsing ambiguity and helps ensure deterministic behavior across platforms.

Limitations and tooling: a strict ASCII policy can lead to data loss for international text and may require preprocessing. Many CSV libraries can enforce ASCII-only output or provide conversion utilities. The term is informal and not an official standard.