Combine CSV App

This Python application allows you to easily combine multiple CSV files into a single CSV file. The application is designed to handle CSV files with identical headers and outputs the combined file into a designated folder.

Project Structure

combine_csv_app/
│
├── combine_csv.py          # The main Python script to combine CSV files
├── requirements.txt        # Python dependencies required to run the script
├── .env                    # Environment variables for configuration
├── input/                  # Folder where you place the CSV files to be combined
├── output/                 # Folder where the combined CSV file will be saved
└── README.md               # This README file

Features

• Folder-based Input/Output: Place your CSV files in the input/ folder and the combined output will be saved in the output/ folder.
• Environment Configuration: Configure the input folder, output folder, and output file name using a .env file.
• Scalable: Easily extendable to handle large datasets.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.x: Make sure you have Python 3.x installed on your system.
• pip: Python package installer should be available.

Setup Instructions

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/nathanrish/combine-csv-app.git
cd combine-csv-app

2. Create and Activate a Virtual Environment (optional but recommended)

It's good practice to use a virtual environment to manage dependencies.

For Windows:

python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate

For macOS/Linux:

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

3. Install Dependencies

Install the required Python packages using pip:

pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Configure the Environment Variables

Edit the .env file to specify your configuration:

# .env
INPUT_FOLDER=input
OUTPUT_FOLDER=output
OUTPUT_FILENAME=combined_output.csv

• INPUT_FOLDER: Folder where your CSV files are located.
• OUTPUT_FOLDER: Folder where the combined CSV file will be saved.
• OUTPUT_FILENAME: Name of the output CSV file.

5. Prepare Input Files

Place all the CSV files you want to combine in the input/ folder.

6. Run the Application

Execute the Python script to combine the CSV files:

python combine_csv.py

The combined CSV file will be saved in the output/ folder with the name specified in the .env file (default: combined_output.csv).

Usage Example

Suppose you have three CSV files (file1.csv, file2.csv, file3.csv) in the input/ folder. Running the script will produce a single combined_output.csv file in the output/ folder containing all the data from these three files.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• No CSV Files in the Input Folder: Ensure that you have placed CSV files in the input/ folder.
• Output Folder Not Created: The script should create the output/ folder if it does not exist. Ensure you have the necessary write permissions.
• Merge Conflicts: Ensure all CSV files have identical headers.

Log Output

The script will print status messages to the console, informing you of the progress and any issues encountered.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to submit a pull request or open an issue to discuss any changes.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Pandas Documentation
• Python dotenv for managing environment variables.