What is a Delimiter? The Ultimate Guide to Data Separators
A delimiter is a character that separates data values so software knows where one field ends and the next begins. Learn what they are, which to use, and how to avoid common mistakes.
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Text Processing Guides & How-Tos — Page 4
Tips, guides, and ideas around text tools and productivity.
Practical guides on working with text and data. Every article pairs with a free tool you can open in the next tab and use straight away.
What the blog covers
Four topics, each tied to a tool
- Delimiters and file formats — what actually separates your data, and why CSV breaks when a value contains a comma. Pairs with the delimiter converter.
- Cleaning messy lists — deduplicating, sorting and trimming exports before they reach a database. Pairs with list clean-up.
- Counting text properly — why two programs disagree about the same paragraph, and which limit you are really up against. Pairs with the text counters.
- Typing faster — what WPM measures, and what actually moves the number. Pairs with the typing test.
Where to start
| If you are… | Read about | Then try |
|---|---|---|
| Fighting a broken CSV | Delimiters and quoting | Delimiter converter |
| Cleaning an export | Dedupe and sort order | List clean-up |
| Hitting a length limit | What counts as a word | Text counters |
| Trying to type faster | What WPM really measures | Typing test |
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do you publish new guides?
New guides are released on a rolling schedule. There are 61 published so far, with more added regularly.
Can I suggest a topic?
Yes. Use the feedback button in the sidebar; reader questions are where most of these guides come from.
Do the guides pair with tools?
Every article links to the free tool that does the job it describes, so you can try it in the next tab without signing up.