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Use JayDeBeApi to access CSV Data in Python


Use standard Python scripting and the development environment of your choice to access live CSV data.

Access CSV data with Python scripts and standard SQL on any machine where Python and Java can be installed. You can use the CData JDBC Driver for CSV and the JayDeBeApi module to work with remote CSV data in Python. By using the CData Driver, you are leveraging a driver written for industry-proven standards to access your data in the popular Python language. This article shows how to use the driver to execute SQL queries to CSV and visualize CSV data with standard Python.

Use the JayDeBeApi module

JayDeBeApi is a Python library that serves as a JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) bridge, allowing Python programs to interact with Java databases, including CData JDBC Drivers. Use the pip install command to install the module:

pip install JayDeBeApi

Create the JDBC URL

Once you have JayDeBeApi installed, you are ready to work with CSV data in Python using SQL.

The DataSource property must be set to a valid local folder name.

Also, specify the IncludeFiles property to work with text files having extensions that differ from .csv, .tab, or .txt. Specify multiple file extensions in a comma-separated list. You can also set Extended Properties compatible with the Microsoft Jet OLE DB 4.0 driver. Alternatively, you can provide the format of text files in a Schema.ini file.

Set UseRowNumbers to true if you are deleting or updating in CSV. This will create a new column with the name RowNumber which will be used as key for that table.

Built-in Connection String Designer

For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the CSV JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

java -jar cdata.jdbc.csv.jar

Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

Below is a sample variable assignment, including a typical JDBC connection string:

jdbc_url = "jdbc:csv:DataSource=MyCSVFilesFolder;"

Access CSV data in Python

With the JDBC URL configured, you only need the absolute path to the JDBC driver JAR file, which is in the "lib" folder in the installation directory ("C:\Program Files\CData[product_name] 20XX\lib\cdata.jdbc.csv.jar" on Windows).

NOTE: If you haven't already, set the JAVA_HOME environment variable to the Java installation directory.

Use code similar to the follow to read and print data from CSV:

import jaydebeapi #The JDBC connection string jdbc_url = "jdbc:csv:DataSource=MyCSVFilesFolder;" username = "****" password = "****" #The absolute Path to the JDBC driver JAR file, typically: jdbc_driver_jar = "C:\Program Files\CData[product_name] 20XX\lib\cdata.jdbc.csv.jar" conn = jaydebeapi.connect( "cdata.jdbc.csv.CSVDriver", jdbc_url, [username, password], jdbc_driver_jar, ) cursor = conn.cursor() cursor.execute("SELECT * FROM Customer;") results = cursor.fetchall() for row in results: print(row) cursor.close() conn.close()

Free trial & more information

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for CSV and start working with your live CSV data in Python. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.

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Download a free trial of the CSV Driver to get started:

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CSV/TSV Files Icon CSV JDBC Driver

Rapidly create and deploy powerful Java applications that integrate with delimited flat-file (CSV/TSV) data.

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