# Make a messy CSV easier to read

Trim extra spaces and flag duplicate rows while keeping the original data untouched.

## Result

name, city
" Ana "," Seoul "
→
name,city
Ana,Seoul

Duplicates: 2 flagged, not deleted.

## Before you start

An AI coding tool, a CSV with made-up sample data, and a spreadsheet app for checking the output.

## Quick start

1. Give your AI the recipe and a sample header.
2. Test quoted commas, empty cells and non-English text.
3. Compare row counts and open the output in a spreadsheet.

## Rebuild

Build a local CSV cleaner for one exported table. Let me choose a file and encoding. Parse CSV correctly, including quotes, embedded newlines and commas; do not split lines or commas manually. Trim leading and trailing spaces in text cells. Preserve leading zeros, date strings, blank cells and row order. Flag exact duplicate rows in a separate report without deleting them. Export a new file and show input/output row counts. Do not modify the original, upload data or evaluate spreadsheet formulas. Flag cells starting with =, +, - or @ and ask how to export them safely. Test with entirely invented data, including Korean, Japanese and Chinese text.

## Limits

CSV dialects vary. Review encoding, delimiters, leading zeros and formula-like values. Do not use real personal data during development.

Starter example; questions are welcome, with no ongoing support commitment.

---
Maintainers: x-ify
Attribution: Disposable · original starter recipe
Reuse terms: CC0-1.0
Version: 97eac687cf05