batch convert csv to txt files

dmoram01 wrote:

Thanks for the reply! I understand that csv files are basically txt files. But some apps that read .txt files (only) can't seem to read .csv files (I've tried). So I'm interested in being able to batch convert hundreds of csv files to txt files. Changing .csv to .txt manually, one at a time, would take forever. Hence my question: how to batch convert csv files to txt files? Dragging/dropping on TextEdit will open the CSV files. But then I'd have to save each one, one at a time, as txt. Or I'd have to change the file name suffix from .csv to .txt one at a time. I would appreciate help with a script to do this quickly with hundreds of csv files at once.

Okay, so this is unrelated to CSV files, and centrally involves either whatever app is trying to read a text file (and is refusing), or involves performing a bulk or batch file rename. For the latter, Finder does bulk or batch renames.

https://www.cultofmac.com/500434/how-to-use-finders-powerful-bulk-renaming-tools/

https://www.imore.com/how-rename-multiple-files-once-mac

The recalcitrant app may well refuse to read a renamed text file, too. I’ll assume you’ve already confirmed that works here.

csv stands for comma-separated values.

they ARE text files.

to verify that, drag and drop one on TextEdit and look at it.

please name and shame the apps you are talking about

also, what file types inspire an app launch in response to drag and drop may be very different from what it can read internally. it's not necessarily 'ends in .txt' that determines what can be read.

dmoram01 wrote:

Thanks! This worked perfectly! I renamed the files, replacing also the .csv extension with .txt, then uploaded all the .txt files to the app I was trying to use, and it created the corpus just fine. Thanks for the suggestions!

Contact the app vendor and suggest they add csv to the supported file types, too. Or allow opening any text-format file.

dmoram01 wrote:

Good idea!

FWIW, for one way an app developer can contend with this case on most Unix platforms, see the file and magic discussion over here:

… Converting Unix executable photo files - Apple Community