1.3 Understanding CSV.

 

Great, so we have established what an official scan is and that all you want are official scans, but how in the heck do verify your collection to make sure it is official?  Well that's where CSV files come in.  We mentioned them briefly earlier but lets take a closer look.

 

A CSV is a Comma Separated Values file.  This file is created by a scanner or another organization [like Oriental CSV Project(OCP)].  This is the scanners record of all of the files he has released.  The scanner then distributes this file to the general public.   This is what a csv file looks like when opened with Notepad.

 

A CSV looks like this opened in NOTEPAD

 

Very basically, it is just like a text file with a line of information for each picture in a scan collection.   The information row (items going across from left to right) has values separated by commas which define the unique qualities of each picture.  For instance, each row contains a filename, file size, crc value, and description. 

 

THIS IS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE MOST NOVICE COLLECTORS MAKE! If you have excel or other spreadsheet applications installed, a CSV by default will open in that application. If it opens in a spreadsheet application, some CRC values WILL become corrupted due to automatic conversion of exponential. In other words, you should open a CSV by default with Notepad to maintain the integrity of the CSV.

 

To change default application to open .CSV files,

1. Open Windows Explorer

2. Choose View --> Folder Options

3. A new window will appear called Folder Options.

4. Choose the tab titled "File Types".

5. You must then scroll down until you find the association for a file with CSV extension. If you are using excel, it will appear as "Microsoft Excel Comma Separated Values" type.

6. Select the type and click edit.

7.A new window will appear called "Edit File Type". In this window highlight "Open" under actions, then click the "Edit" button.

8. Another new window will appear called "Edit Action For Type". Now you must browse to the location of Notepad and place that file path in the "Application preformed to use action:" field. Choose Ok and you are done.

 

Now that we know what a CSV is, it is easy to see how it would aid in verifying your collections, but a CSV will only get you half way there.  A collection verification program will get you the other half of the way there.