Import-Csv
Creates table-like custom objects from the items in a character-separated value (CSV) file.
Syntax
Import-Csv
[[-Path] <string[]>]
[[-Delimiter] <char>]
[-LiteralPath <string[]>]
[-Header <string[]>]
[-Encoding <string>]
[<CommonParameters>]
Import-Csv
[[-Path] <string[]>]
-UseCulture
[-LiteralPath <string[]>]
[-Header <string[]>]
[-Encoding <string>]
[<CommonParameters>]
Description
The Import-Csv
cmdlet creates table-like custom objects from the items in CSV files. Each column
in the CSV file becomes a property of the custom object and the items in rows become the property
values. Import-Csv
works on any CSV file, including files that are generated by the Export-Csv
cmdlet.
You can use the parameters of the Import-Csv
cmdlet to specify the column header row and the item
delimiter, or direct Import-Csv
to use the list separator for the current culture as the item
delimiter.
You can also use the ConvertTo-Csv
and ConvertFrom-Csv
cmdlets to convert objects to CSV
strings (and back). These cmdlets are the same as the Export-CSV
and Import-Csv
cmdlets, except
that they do not deal with files.
If a header row entry in a CSV file contains an empty or null value, PowerShell inserts a default header row name and displays a warning message.
Import-Csv
uses the byte-order-mark (BOM) to detect the encoding format of the file. If the
file has no BOM, it assumes the encoding is UTF8.
Examples
Example 1: Import process objects
This example shows how to export and then import a CSV file of process objects.
Get-Process | Export-Csv -Path .\Processes.csv
$P = Import-Csv -Path .\Processes.csv
$P | Get-Member
TypeName: System.Management.Automation.PSCustomObject
Name MemberType Definition
---- ---------- ----------
Equals Method bool Equals(System.Object obj)
GetHashCode Method int GetHashCode()
GetType Method type GetType()
ToString Method string ToString()
BasePriority NoteProperty string BasePriority=8
Company NoteProperty string Company=Microsoft Corporation
...
$P | Format-Table
Name SI Handles VM WS PM NPM Path
---- -- ------- -- -- -- --- ----
ApplicationFrameHost 4 407 2199293489152 15884288 15151104 23792 C:\WINDOWS\system32\ApplicationFrameHost.exe
...
wininit 0 157 2199112204288 4591616 1630208 10376
winlogon 4 233 2199125549056 7659520 2826240 10992 C:\WINDOWS\System32\WinLogon.exe
WinStore.App 4 846 873435136 33652736 26607616 55432 C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsStore_11712.1001.13.0_x64__8weky...
WmiPrvSE 0 201 2199100219392 8830976 3297280 10632 C:\WINDOWS\system32\wbem\wmiprvse.exe
WmiPrvSE 0 407 2199157727232 18509824 12922880 16624 C:\WINDOWS\system32\wbem\wmiprvse.exe
WUDFHost 0 834 2199310204928 51945472 87441408 24984 C:\Windows\System32\WUDFHost.exe
The Get-Process
cmdlet sends process objects down the pipeline to the Export-Csv
. The
Export-Csv
cmdlet converts the process objects to CSV strings and saves the strings in the
Processes.csv file. The Import-Csv
cmdlet imports the CSV strings from the Processes.csv file.
The strings are saved in the $P
variable. The $P
variable is sent down the pipeline to the
Get-Member
cmdlet that displays the properties of the imported CSV strings. The $P
variable
is sent down the pipeline to the Format-Table
cmdlet and displays the objects.
Example 2: Specify the delimiter
This example shows how to use the Delimiter parameter of the Import-Csv
cmdlet.
Get-Process | Export-Csv -Path .\Processes.csv -Delimiter :
$P = Import-Csv -Path .\Processes.csv -Delimiter :
$P | Format-Table
The Get-Process
cmdlet sends process objects down the pipeline to Export-Csv
. The Export-Csv
cmdlet converts the process objects to CSV strings and saves the strings in the Processes.csv file.
The Delimiter parameter is used to specify a colon delimiter. The Import-Csv
cmdlet imports
the CSV strings from the Processes.csv file. The strings are saved in the $P
variable. To $P
variable is sent down the pipeline to the Format-Table
cmdlet.
Example 3: Specify the current culture for the delimiter
This example shows how to use the Import-Csv
cmdlet with the UseCulture parameter.
(Get-Culture).TextInfo.ListSeparator
Get-Process | Export-Csv -Path .\Processes.csv -UseCulture
Import-Csv -Path .\Processes.csv -UseCulture
The Get-Culture
cmdlet uses the nested properties TextInfo and ListSeparator to get the
current culture's default list separator. The Get-Process
cmdlet sends process objects down the
pipeline to Export-Csv
. The Export-Csv
cmdlet converts the process objects to CSV strings and
saves the strings in the Processes.csv file. The UseCulture parameter uses the current
culture's default list separator. The Import-Csv
cmdlet imports the CSV strings from the
Processes.csv file.
Example 4: Change property names in an imported object
This example shows how to use the Header parameter of Import-Csv
to change the names of
properties in the resulting imported object.
Start-Job -ScriptBlock { Get-Process } | Export-Csv -Path .\Jobs.csv -NoTypeInformation
$Header = 'State', 'MoreData', 'StatusMessage', 'Location', 'Command', 'StateInfo', 'Finished',
'InstanceId', 'Id', 'Name', 'ChildJobs', 'BeginTime', 'EndTime', 'JobType', 'Output', 'Error',
'Progress', 'Verbose', 'Debug', 'Warning', 'Information'
# Delete the default header from file
$A = Get-Content -Path .\Jobs.csv
$A = $A[1..($A.Count - 1)]
$A | Out-File -FilePath .\Jobs.csv
$J = Import-Csv -Path .\Jobs.csv -Header $Header
$J
State : Running
MoreData : True
StatusMessage :
Location : localhost
Command : Get-Process
StateInfo : Running
Finished : System.Threading.ManualResetEvent
InstanceId : a259eb63-6824-4b97-a033-305108ae1c2e
Id : 1
Name : Job1
ChildJobs : System.Collections.Generic.List`1[System.Management.Automation.Job]
BeginTime : 12/20/2018 18:59:57
EndTime :
JobType : BackgroundJob
Output : System.Management.Automation.PSDataCollection`1[System.Management.Automation.PSObject]
Error : System.Management.Automation.PSDataCollection`1[System.Management.Automation.ErrorRecord]
Progress : System.Management.Automation.PSDataCollection`1[System.Management.Automation.ProgressRecord]
Verbose : System.Management.Automation.PSDataCollection`1[System.Management.Automation.VerboseRecord]
Debug : System.Management.Automation.PSDataCollection`1[System.Management.Automation.DebugRecord]
Warning : System.Management.Automation.PSDataCollection`1[System.Management.Automation.WarningRecord]
Information : System.Management.Automation.PSDataCollection`1[System.Management.Automation.InformationRecord]
The Start-Job
cmdlet starts a background job that runs Get-Process
. A job object is sent down
the pipeline to the Export-Csv
cmdlet and converted to a CSV string. The NoTypeInformation
parameter removes the type information header from CSV output and is optional in PowerShell v6 and
higher. The $Header
variable contains a custom header that replaces the following default values:
HasMoreData, JobStateInfo, PSBeginTime, PSEndTime, and PSJobTypeName. The $A
variable uses the Get-Content
cmdlet to get the CSV string from the Jobs.csv file. The $A
variable is used to remove the default header from the file. The Out-File
cmdlet saves the new
version of the Jobs.csv file in the $A
variable. The Import-Csv
cmdlet imports the Jobs.csv file
and uses the Header parameter to apply the $Header
variable. The $J
variable contains the
imported PSCustomObject and displays the object in the PowerShell console.
Example 5: Create a custom object using a CSV file
This example shows how to create a custom object in PowerShell by using a CSV file.
Get-Content -Path .\Links.csv
113207,about_Aliases
113208,about_Arithmetic_Operators
113209,about_Arrays
113210,about_Assignment_Operators
113212,about_Automatic_Variables
113213,about_Break
113214,about_Command_Precedence
113215,about_Command_Syntax
144309,about_Comment_Based_Help
113216,about_CommonParameters
113217,about_Comparison_Operators
113218,about_Continue
113219,about_Core_Commands
113220,about_Data_Section
$A = Import-Csv -Path .\Links.csv -Header 'LinkID', 'TopicTitle'
$A | Get-Member
TypeName: System.Management.Automation.PSCustomObject
Name MemberType Definition
---- ---------- ----------
Equals Method bool Equals(System.Object obj)
GetHashCode Method int GetHashCode()
GetType Method type GetType()
ToString Method string ToString()
LinkID NoteProperty string LinkID=113207
TopicTitle NoteProperty string TopicTitle=about_Aliases
$A | Where-Object -Property TopicTitle -Like '*alias*'
LinkID TopicTitle
------ ----------
113207 about_Aliases
To create your Links.csv file, use the values shown in the Get-Content
output.
The Get-Content
cmdlet displays the Links.csv file. The Import-Csv
cmdlet imports the Links.csv
file. The Header parameter specifies the property names LinkId and TopicTitle. The
objects are stored in the $A
variable. The Get-Member
cmdlet shows the property names from the
Header parameter. The Where-Object
cmdlet selects objects with the TopicTitle property
that includes alias.
Example 6: Import a CSV that is missing a value
This example shows how the Import-Csv
cmdlet in PowerShell responds when the header row in a CSV
file includes a null or empty value. Import-Csv
substitutes a default name for the missing header
row that becomes the property name of the object that Import-Csv
returns.
Get-Content -Path .\Projects.csv
ProjectID,ProjectName,,Completed
13,Inventory,Redmond,True
440,,FarEast,True
469,Marketing,Europe,False
Import-Csv -Path .\Projects.csv
WARNING: One or more headers were not specified. Default names starting with "H" have been used in
place of any missing headers.
ProjectID ProjectName H1 Completed
--------- ----------- -- ---------
13 Inventory Redmond True
440 FarEast True
469 Marketing Europe False
(Import-Csv -Path .\Projects.csv).H1
WARNING: One or more headers were not specified. Default names starting with "H" have been used in
place of any missing headers.
Redmond
FarEast
Europe
To create your Projects.csv file, use the values shown in the example's Get-Content
output.
The Get-Content
cmdlet displays the Projects.csv file. The header row is missing a value between
ProjectName and Completed. The Import-Csv
cmdlet imports the Projects.csv file and
displays a warning message because H1 is a default header name. The (Import-Csv -Path .\Projects.csv).H1
command gets the H1 property values and displays a warning.
Parameters
-Delimiter
Specifies the delimiter that separates the property values in the CSV file. The default is a comma
(,
).
Enter a character, such as a colon (:
). To specify a semicolon (;
) enclose it in single
quotation marks. To specify escaped special characters such as tab (`t
), enclose it in double
quotation marks.
If you specify a character other than the actual string delimiter in the file, Import-Csv
cannot
create the objects from the CSV strings and will return the CSV strings.
Type: | Char |
Position: | 1 |
Default value: | comma (,) |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Encoding
Specifies the type of encoding for the target file. The default value is Default
.
The acceptable values for this parameter are as follows:
ASCII
Uses ASCII (7-bit) character set.BigEndianUnicode
Uses UTF-16 with the big-endian byte order.Default
Uses the encoding that corresponds to the system's active code page (usually ANSI).OEM
Uses the encoding that corresponds to the system's current OEM code page.Unicode
Uses UTF-16 with the little-endian byte order.UTF7
Uses UTF-7.UTF8
Uses UTF-8.UTF32
Uses UTF-32 with the little-endian byte order.
Type: | String |
Accepted values: | ASCII, BigEndianUnicode, Default, OEM, Unicode, UTF7, UTF8, UTF32 |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | Default |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Header
Specifies an alternate column header row for the imported file. The column header determines the
property names of the objects created by Import-Csv
.
Enter column headers as a character-separated list. Do not enclose the header string in quotation marks. Enclose each column header in single quotation marks.
If you enter fewer column headers than there are data columns, the remaining data columns are discarded. If you enter more column headers than there are data columns, the additional column headers are created with empty data columns.
When using the Header parameter, delete the original header row from the CSV file. Otherwise,
Import-Csv
creates an extra object from the items in the header row.
Type: | String[] |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-LiteralPath
Specifies the path to the CSV file to import. Unlike Path, the value of the LiteralPath parameter is used exactly as it is typed. No characters are interpreted as wildcards. If the path includes escape characters, enclose it in single quotation marks. Single quotation marks tell PowerShell not to interpret any characters as escape sequences.
Type: | String[] |
Aliases: | PSPath |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | True |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Path
Specifies the path to the CSV file to import.
You can also pipe a path to Import-Csv
.
Type: | String[] |
Position: | 0 |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | True |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-UseCulture
Uses the list separator for the current culture as the item delimiter. To find the list separator
for a culture, use the following command: (Get-Culture).TextInfo.ListSeparator
.
Type: | SwitchParameter |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | None |
Required: | True |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
Inputs
You can pipe a string that contains a path to this cmdlet.
Outputs
This cmdlet returns the objects described by the content in the CSV file.
Notes
Windows PowerShell includes the following aliases for Import-Csv
:
ipcsv
Because the imported objects are CSV versions of the object type, they are not recognized and formatted by the PowerShell type formatting entries that format the non-CSV versions of the object type.
The result of an Import-Csv
command is a collection of strings that form a table-like custom
object. Each row is a separate string, so you can use the Count property of the object to count
the table rows. The columns are the properties of the object and items in the rows are the property
values.
The column header row determines the number of columns and the column names. The column names are also the names of the properties of the objects. The first row is interpreted to be the column headers, unless you use the Header parameter to specify column headers. If any row has more values than the header row, the additional values are ignored.
If the column header row is missing a value or contains a null or empty value, Import-Csv
uses
H followed by a number for the missing column header and property name.
In the CSV file, each object is represented by a character-separated list of the property values of
the object. The property values are converted to strings by using the ToString() method of the
object, so they are represented by the name of the property value. Export-Csv
does not export the
methods of the object.
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