From c06884d434b37e495b798952f768bc77031e56a0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Malin Freeborn <malinfreeborn@posteo.net>
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:11:54 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] note: csv to markdown in vim

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 writing/vim/csv_to_md.md | 116 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 116 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 writing/vim/csv_to_md.md

diff --git a/writing/vim/csv_to_md.md b/writing/vim/csv_to_md.md
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+---
+title: CSV to Markdown in Vim
+tags: 
+- writing
+- vim
+- csv
+- markdown
+requires:
+- writing/vim.md
+---
+
+Open a CSV table (I made this one with `:r!sed 's/:/,/g' /etc/passwd | head`).
+
+
+```csv
+root,x,0,0,,/root,/bin/bash
+bin,x,1,1,,/,/usr/bin/nologin
+daemon,x,2,2,,/,/usr/bin/nologin
+mail,x,8,12,,/var/spool/mail,/usr/bin/nologin
+ftp,x,14,11,,/srv/ftp,/usr/bin/nologin
+http,x,33,33,,/srv/http,/usr/bin/nologin
+nobody,x,65534,65534,Nobody,/,/usr/bin/nologin
+dbus,x,81,81,System Message Bus,/,/usr/bin/nologin
+systemd-coredump,x,981,981,systemd Core Dumper,/,/usr/bin/nologin
+systemd-network,x,980,980,systemd Network Management,/,/usr/bin/nologin
+```
+
+Highlight the table.
+
+- Go to the top, with 'root'.
+- Type `V9j`.
+- `:!column -ts, -o '|'`
+- Return!
+
+
+```csv
+root            |x|0    |0    |                          |/root          |/bin/bash
+bin             |x|1    |1    |                          |/              |/usr/bin/nologin
+daemon          |x|2    |2    |                          |/              |/usr/bin/nologin
+mail            |x|8    |12   |                          |/var/spool/mail|/usr/bin/nologin
+ftp             |x|14   |11   |                          |/srv/ftp       |/usr/bin/nologin
+http            |x|33   |33   |                          |/srv/http      |/usr/bin/nologin
+nobody          |x|65534|65534|Nobody                    |/              |/usr/bin/nologin
+dbus            |x|81   |81   |System Message Bus        |/              |/usr/bin/nologin
+systemd-coredump|x|981  |981  |systemd Core Dumper       |/              |/usr/bin/nologin
+systemd-network |x|980  |980  |systemd Network Management|/              |/usr/bin/nologin
+```
+
+The command displays as `:'<,'>!column -ts, -o '|'`.
+
+This looks better, but the spacing is bad because the output separate is `-o '|'`.
+You can put spaces around that pipe by making the separator a pipe (`-s'|'`)
+and making the output separator a pipe with spaces (`-o' | '`).
+
+```vim
+:'<,'>!column -ts'|' -o ' | '
+```
+
+
+```csv
+root             | x | 0     | 0     |                            | /root           | /bin/bash
+bin              | x | 1     | 1     |                            | /               | /usr/bin/nologin
+daemon           | x | 2     | 2     |                            | /               | /usr/bin/nologin
+mail             | x | 8     | 12    |                            | /var/spool/mail | /usr/bin/nologin
+ftp              | x | 14    | 11    |                            | /srv/ftp        | /usr/bin/nologin
+http             | x | 33    | 33    |                            | /srv/http       | /usr/bin/nologin
+nobody           | x | 65534 | 65534 | Nobody                     | /               | /usr/bin/nologin
+dbus             | x | 81    | 81    | System Message Bus         | /               | /usr/bin/nologin
+systemd-coredump | x | 981   | 981   | systemd Core Dumper        | /               | /usr/bin/nologin
+systemd-network  | x | 980   | 980   | systemd Network Management | /               | /usr/bin/nologin
+```
+
+Make a header by copying the top line and replacing text (`yypkR`).
+
+That's nicer, but the formatting's wrong again.
+
+```markdown
+User             | Passwords | UID   | GID   | Description                | Home            | Shell    
+root             | x | 0     | 0     |                            | /root           | /bin/bash
+[...]
+```
+
+Time to fix it with `:'<,'>!column -ts'|' -o'|'`.
+
+
+```csv
+User              |  Passwords  |  UID    |  GID    |  Description                 |  Home             |  Shell    
+----------------- | ----------- | ------- | ------- | ---------------------------- | ----------------- | ----------
+root              |  x          |  0      |  0      |                              |  /root            |  /bin/bash
+bin               |  x          |  1      |  1      |                              |  /                |  /usr/bin/nologin
+daemon            |  x          |  2      |  2      |                              |  /                |  /usr/bin/nologin
+mail              |  x          |  8      |  12     |                              |  /var/spool/mail  |  /usr/bin/nologin
+ftp               |  x          |  14     |  11     |                              |  /srv/ftp         |  /usr/bin/nologin
+http              |  x          |  33     |  33     |                              |  /srv/http        |  /usr/bin/nologin
+nobody            |  x          |  65534  |  65534  |  Nobody                      |  /                |  /usr/bin/nologin
+dbus              |  x          |  81     |  81     |  System Message Bus          |  /                |  /usr/bin/nologin
+systemd-coredump  |  x          |  981    |  981    |  systemd Core Dumper         |  /                |  /usr/bin/nologin
+systemd-network   |  x          |  980    |  980    |  systemd Network Management  |  /                |  /usr/bin/nologin
+```
+
+Now we just need the spacer line.
+Copy the top line (`yyp`) and replace (`:s/not-pipe/-/g`).
+You can say 'not the pipe symbol' with `[^|]` or 'not-pipe-or-colon' with `[^:|]`.
+
+```vim
+:s/[^:|]/-/g
+```
+
+# Keyboard Shortcut
+
+Put this in your `~/.vimrc` to map 'Control + s' to reformat CSV while in visual mode.
+
+
+```vim
+vmap <C-s> :!column -ts, -o " \| "<Enter>yyp:s/[^\|:]/-/g<Enter>
+```