CsvHelper

CsvHelper is an open-source library for the .NET platform that facilitates reading and writing CSV (comma-separated value) files. It provides a simple, object-oriented API for parsing CSV content and for serializing objects to CSV, with configurable behavior and robust type handling. The library targets .NET Framework, .NET Core, and .NET 5/6/7+, and is widely used in data processing applications.

Key features include support for header-aware and headerless CSVs, customizable delimiters and quoting, and culture-aware parsing and formatting. It offers automatic type conversion with support for custom value converters, as well as mapping to POCOs via attributes or fluent class maps. The library can read records as strongly typed objects or as dynamic records, and provides mechanisms to handle missing or malformed fields, trimming, and error reporting.

Usage typically involves creating a CsvConfiguration, then using CsvReader to read from a TextReader and CsvWriter to write to a TextWriter. GetRecords<T>() yields strongly typed sequences; mapping can be done with attributes such as Name or Index, or with class maps. Writing supports write records and headers, with similar configuration options.

CsvHelper originated and is maintained by a community of contributors led by Josh Close. It is released under the MIT license and distributed via NuGet, with comprehensive documentation and examples to support adoption in various projects.

Overall, CsvHelper is a mature, high-performance option for CSV I/O in .NET, balancing ease of use with extensive configurability and strong type safety.