How can I merge a set of .csv files into one file?

To merge CSV files using the command line, you can use various tools and methods depending on your operating system. Here are two common approaches:

  1. Using cat (Linux/Unix/macOS): You can use the cat command to concatenate (merge) CSV files in a terminal. For example, if you have two CSV files named file1.csv and file2.csv and want to merge them into a single file called merged.csv, you can use the following command:
    bash
    cat file1.csv file2.csv > merged.csv

    This command simply combines the contents of file1.csv and file2.csv into merged.csv.

  2. Using copy (Windows Command Prompt) or type (Windows PowerShell): On Windows, you can use the copy command in Command Prompt or the type command in PowerShell to merge CSV files. For example:Using Command Prompt:
    batch
    copy file1.csv + file2.csv merged.csv

    Using PowerShell:

    powershell
    type file1.csv, file2.csv | Out-File -FilePath merged.csv

    These commands will also concatenate the contents of file1.csv and file2.csv into merged.csv.

Make sure to navigate to the directory where your CSV files are located or provide the full path to the files if they are located in different directories. Additionally, ensure that the CSV files have the same structure (same number and order of columns) for this method to work properly.

Last updated byChris Grant (he/him)Chris Grant (he/him) on 20th September 2023