# CSV import

This is the most straightforward way to import data in KAWA.

## 1. Importing a new CSV file

In order to import a new CSV file, from the **Data Source** section, click on **(+ Data Source)** then **(Upload a File)**.

### 1.1 Step 1 of 2: Select the data to import

In the first step, use the file picker on the right to drag and drop a file or select a file from your system.

The following formats are accepted:

* .csv
* .csv.gz
* .csv.zip

> It is recommended to use compressed csv formats when the volume of data exceeds 100MB.

### 1.2 Configure the CSV import parameters

Once the file has been loaded on KAWA and a preview has been generated, use the right pane to configure the import.

> Most of the time, no additional configuration will be required as KAWA tries to auto detect all the parameters.

Here are the available parameters:

| Parameter           | Description                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Column Delimiter    | Will define the delimiter used to separate columns. In the US or in the UK, it is often the comma. In France the semicolon is used.                                                                       |
| Quote Character     | In a CSVfile, the quote character (usually a double quote ") is used to enclose field values that contain special characters such as: separators, new lines.                                              |
| Escape Character    | Is used to escape the Quote characters withing the quoted values. For example if the quote character is `"` and the escape character is `\`: The following text is a valid value: `"She said: \"Hello\""` |
| Decimal Separator   | Delimits the whole number part from the fractional part in a numeric value.                                                                                                                               |
| Thousands Separator | The thousands separator divides large numbers into groups of three digits to improve readability.                                                                                                         |
| Date Format         | Specifies the format of the dates                                                                                                                                                                         |
| Timestamp Format    | Specifies the format of the date times                                                                                                                                                                    |
| Encoding            | The default is UTF-8. If the CSV file comes from a Windows system and includes special characters like é or à, ensure the appropriate encoding is selected to display the characters correctly.           |
| Time Zone           | Will assume that all date times without explicit Time Zone will be in the configured Time Zone.                                                                                                           |
| Header Row          | Specifies the position of the header row in the CSV file. For example, a value of 1 indicates that the header is on the first line, 2 means it's on the second line, and so on.                           |