Preview CSV

Preview CSV Skill

Interactive CSV file viewer that generates HTML visualizations with sorting, filtering, and statistical analysis.

Agent Usage

When the user asks to preview a CSV file, DO NOT build HTML manually. Use the Bash tool to execute this skill's run.sh script:

# Preview a file
./run.sh data.csv

# Pipe content
cat data.csv | ./run.sh

The script handles all HTML generation and automatically opens the result in the browser. Do NOT open the file manually to avoid duplicate tabs.

Usage

# Preview a CSV file
/preview-csv data.csv

# Pipe CSV data (preferred for temporary content)
cat data.csv | /preview-csv
echo "name,age\nAlice,30\nBob,25" | /preview-csv

# With custom background color
/preview-csv data.csv --background "#1e1e1e"

Best Practice: For temporary or generated content, prefer piping over creating temporary files. This avoids cluttering your filesystem and the content is automatically cleaned up.

Options

The script works with sensible defaults but supports these flags for flexibility:

• -o, --output PATH - Custom output path
• --no-browser - Skip browser, output file path only

Features

• Interactive table with sortable columns (click headers)
• Search and filter across all data in real-time
• Column statistics including:
  • Min/Max values
  • Average for numeric columns
  • Unique value counts
  • Data type detection
• Export to JSON functionality
• Large file support with automatic pagination (10,000+ rows)
• Responsive design adapts to screen size
• Keyboard navigation for accessibility

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when the user wants to:

• View and explore CSV data files
• Analyze data with sorting and filtering
• Inspect column statistics quickly
• Share formatted data views
• Debug or verify CSV file contents

Examples

Natural language requests:

• "preview this CSV file"
• "show me the data in customers.csv"
• "open the employee data"
• "visualize this CSV"
• "let me see what's in sales.csv"

Technical Details

File Requirements

• File extension: .csv
• Maximum size: 10MB (configurable)
• Encoding: UTF-8

Features in Detail

Sortable Columns

• Click any column header to sort
• Click again to reverse sort order
• Visual indicators show current sort direction

Search and Filter

• Live search across all columns
• Case-insensitive matching
• Instant results as you type

Column Statistics

• Automatically calculated for each column
• Numeric columns show: min, max, average
• All columns show: unique value count, data type
• Statistics update with filtered data

Export

• One-click export to JSON format
• Preserves all data and structure
• Downloads directly to browser

Browser Compatibility

• Modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
• Requires JavaScript enabled
• No external dependencies (all assets bundled)

Output

The skill generates a standalone HTML file at:

.preview-skills/csv/{filename}.html

The file is self-contained and can be:

• Opened directly in any browser
• Shared with others (no dependencies)
• Archived for later viewing

Troubleshooting

CSV doesn't display correctly

• Ensure file is valid CSV format
• Check that delimiters are commas
• Verify UTF-8 encoding

File too large

• Files over 10MB may fail to load
• Consider filtering data before preview
• Use pagination for very large files

Missing columns or data

• Check for empty lines at end of file
• Verify header row is present
• Ensure consistent column counts per row

Development

This skill is standalone and includes all dependencies:

• Shared libraries bundled in lib/
• Templates bundled in templates/
• No external CDN requirements

To modify the skill:

1. Edit config.sh for configuration
2. Edit templates/scripts/csv-renderer.js for behavior
3. Edit templates/styles/csv.css for styling
4. Run run.sh to test changes