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note: csv to markdown in vim

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Malin Freeborn
2026-04-28 18:11:54 +02:00
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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>
```