{smcl} {* 01may2025}{...} {cmd:help mata mm_read_csv()} {hline} {title:Title} {p 4 4 2} {bf:mm_read_csv() -- Import CSV file into string matrix} {title:Syntax} {p 8 22 2} {it:string matrix} {cmd:mm_read_csv(}{it:{help filename}} [{cmd:,} {it:delimiter}{cmd:,} {it:notrim}{cmd:,} {it:nostrip}{cmd:,} {it:line1}{cmd:,} {it:line2}]{cmd:)} {p 4 8 2} where {p 11 27 2}{space 2} {it:filename}: {it:string scalar} specifying the CSV file to be imported {p_end} {p 11 27 2}{space 1} {it:delimiter}: {it:string scalar} specifying the delimiter; default is {cmd:","} {p_end} {p 11 27 2}{space 4} {it:notrim}: {it:real scalar} specifying whether blanks are removed or not; {it:notrim}={cmd:0} (the default) removes leading and trailing blanks from each value; specify {it:notrim}!={cmd:0} to keep the blanks {p_end} {p 11 27 2}{space 3} {it:nostrip}: {it:real scalar} specifying whether double quotes are removed or not; {it:nostrip}={cmd:0} (the default) removes outer quotes from values that are enclosed in double quotes; specify {it:nostrip}!={cmd:0} to keep the quotes {p_end} {p 11 27 2}{space 5} {it:line1}: {it:real scalar} specifying the first line to be read; default is {cmd:1} {p_end} {p 11 27 2}{space 5} {it:line2}: {it:real scalar} specifying the last line to be read; default is {cmd:.} (end of file) {p_end} {title:Description} {p 4 4 2} {cmd:mm_read_csv()} imports a CSV (comma-separated values) file into a string matrix. By default, the values in {it:filename} are assumed to be comma-separated. For example, specify {cmd:char(9)} as {it:delimiter} if the values are separated by tab characters. {p 4 4 2} {cmd:mm_read_csv()} is sensitive to double-quote binding. That is, values enclosed in double quotes (within the same line of data) will not be separated. Use function {bf:{help mf_mm_insheet:mm_insheet()}} if you want to import a file without double-quote binding. {title:Diagnostics} {p 4 4 2} {cmd:mm_read_csv()} aborts with error if {it:filename} does not exist. {p 4 4 2} {cmd:mm_read_csv()} returns a 0 x 0 result if {it:filename} contains 0 bytes. {title:Source code} {p 4 4 2} {help moremata_source##mm_read_csv:mm_read_csv.mata} {title:Author} {p 4 4 2} Ben Jann, University of Bern, ben.jann@unibe.ch {title:Also see} {p 4 13 2} Online: help for {bf:{help m4_io:[M-4] io -- I/O functions}}, {bf:{help mf_cat:[M-5] cat()}}, {bf:{help mf_mm_insheet:mm_insheet()}}, {bf:{help moremata}}