Converts object properties in comma-separated value (CSV) format into CSV versions of the original objects.
The objects that ConvertFrom-CSV creates are CSV versions of the original objects. The property values of the CSV
objects are string versions of the property values of the original objects. The CSV versions of the objects do not
have any methods.
You can also use the Export-Csv and Import-Csv cmdlets to convert objects to CSV strings in a file (and back).
These cmdlets are the same as the ConvertTo-CSV and ConvertFrom-CSV cmdlets, except that they save the CSV strings
in a file.
If you specify a character other than the delimiter used in the CSV strings, ConvertFrom-CSV cannot create
objects from the CSV strings. Instead, it returns the strings.
Required? false
Position? 1
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
Enter a comma-separated list of the column headers. Enclose each item in quotation marks (single or double).
Do not enclose the header string in quotation marks. If you enter fewer column headers than there are columns,
the remaining columns will have no headers. If you enter more headers than there are columns, the extra
headers are ignored.
When using the Header parameter, omit the column header string from the CSV strings. Otherwise, this cmdlet
creates an extra object from the items in the header row.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
command or expression that gets the CSV strings. You can also pipe the CSV strings to ConvertFrom-CSV .
Required? true
Position? 0
Default value None
To find the list separator for a culture, use the following command: `(Get-Culture).TextInfo.ListSeparator`.
If you specify a character other than the delimiter used in the CSV strings, ConvertFrom-CSV cannot create
objects from the CSV strings. Instead, it returns the strings.
Required? true
Position? named
Default value False
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,
ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,
OutBuffer, PipelineVariable, and OutVariable. For more information, see
about_CommonParameters (https:/go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113216).
INPUTS
System.String
You can pipe CSV strings to this cmdlet.
OUTPUTS
System.Management.Automation.PSObject
This cmdlet returns the objects described by the properties in the CSV strings.
NOTES
* Because the imported objects are CSV versions of the object type, they are not recognized and formatted by
the Windows PowerShell type formatting entries that format the non-CSV versions of the object type.
In CSV format, each object is represented by a comma-separated list of the property values of the object. The
property values are converted to strings (by using the ToString() method of the object), so they are generally
represented by the name of the property value. This cmdlet does not export the methods of the object.
*
Example 1: Convert processes on the local computer to CSV format
PS C:\>$p = get-process | convertto-csv
PS C:\> $p | convertfrom-csv
These commands convert the processes on the local computer into CSV format and then restore them to object form.
The first command uses the Get-Process cmdlet to get the processes on the local computer. A pipeline operator (|)
sends them to the ConvertTo-CSV cmdlet, which converts the process object to CSV format. The CSV strings are saved
in the $p variable.
The second command uses a pipeline operator to send the CSV strings in the $p variable to the ConvertFrom-CSV
cmdlet. The cmdlet converts the CSV strings into CSV versions of the original process objects.
Example 2: Convert a data object to CSV format and then to CSV object format
PS C:\>$Date = Get-Date | ConvertTo-Csv -Delimiter ";"
PS C:\> ConvertFrom-Csv -InputObject $Date -Delimiter ";"
These commands convert a data object to CSV format and then to CSV object format.
The first command uses the Get-Date cmdlet to get the current date and time. A pipeline object (|) sends the date
to the ConvertTo-Csv cmdlets, which converts the date object to a series of CSV strings. The command uses the
Delimiter parameter to specify a semicolon delimiter. The strings are saved in the $date variable.
The second command uses the ConvertFrom-CSV cmdlet to convert the CSV strings in the $date variable back to object
format. The command uses the InputObject parameter to specify the CSV strings and the Delimiter parameter to
specify the semicolon delimiter.
Example 3: Use the header parameter to change the names of properties
PS C:\>$J = Start-Job -ScriptBlock {Get-Process } | ConvertTo-Csv
PS C:\> $Header = "MoreData","StatusMessage","Location","Command","State","Finished","InstanceId","SessionId","Name
","ChildJobs","Output","Error","Progress","Verbose","Debug","Warning","StateChanged"
# Delete header from $J
PS C:\> $J = $J[0], $J[2..($J.count - 1)]
PS C:\> $J | ConvertFrom-Csv -Header $Header
MoreData : True
StatusMessage :
Location : localhost
Command : get-process
State : Running
Finished : System.Threading.ManualResetEvent
InstanceId : 6fcb6578-7f42-4d93-9f23-9937f6aac1a2
SessionId : 1
Name : Job1
ChildJobs : System.Collections.Generic.List`1[System.Management.Automation.Job]
Output : System.Management.Automation.PSDataCollection`1[System.Management.Automation.PSObject]
Error : System.Management.Automation.PSDataCollection`1[System.Management.Automation.ErrorRecord]
Progress : System.Management.Automation.PSDataCollection`1[System.Management.Automation.ProgressRecord]
Verbose : System.Management.Automation.PSDataCollection`1[System.String]
Debug : System.Management.Automation.PSDataCollection`1[System.String]
Warning : System.Management.Automation.PSDataCollection`1[System.String]
StateChanged :
This example shows how to use the Header parameter of ConvertFrom-Csv to change the names of properties in the
resulting imported object.
The first command uses the Start-Job cmdlet to start a background job that runs a Get-Process command on the local
computer. A pipeline operator (|) sends the resulting job object to the ConvertTo-CSV cmdlet, which converts the
job object to CSV format. An assignment operator (=) saves the resulting CSV in the $J variable.
The second command saves a header in the $header variable. Unlike the default header, this header uses MoreData
instead of HasMoreData and State instead of JobStateInfo.
The third command deletes the original header (the second line) from the CSV strings and returns it to the $J
variable.
The fourth command uses the ConvertFrom-CSV cmdlet to convert the CSV strings to a CSV version of the job object.
The command uses a pipeline operator to send the content in $J to ConvertFrom-CSV . The resulting object has
MoreData and State properties, as specified by the header.
Example 4: Convert CSV strings of service objects
PS C:\>(Get-Culture).textinfo.listseparator
PS C:\> ConvertFrom-Csv -InputObject $Services -UseCulture
The command uses the ConvertFrom-CSV cmdlet to convert CSV strings of service objects that had been converted by
the ConvertTo-CSV cmdlet. The command uses the UseCulture parameter to direct ConvertFrom-CSV to use the delimiter
(list separator) of the current culture.
When using the UseCulture parameter, be sure that the list separator of the current culture matches the delimiter
used in the CSV strings. Otherwise, ConvertFrom-CSV cannot generate objects from the CSV strings.
In this example, a Get-Culture command was used to verify the list separator, before the ConvertFrom-CSV command
was used.
RELATED LINKS
Online Version: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=821752
ConvertTo-Csv
Export-Csv
Import-Csv