<!--
title: "CSV formatter"
custom_edit_url: https://github.com/netdata/netdata/edit/master/src/web/api/formatters/csv/README.md
sidebar_label: "CSV formatter"
learn_status: "Published"
learn_topic_type: "References"
learn_rel_path: "Developers/Web/Api/Formatters"
-->

# CSV formatter

The CSV formatter presents [results of database queries](/src/web/api/queries/README.md) in the following formats:

| format|content type|description|
| :----:|:----------:|:----------|
| `csv`|text/plain|a text table, comma separated, with a header line (dimension names) and `\r\n` at the end of the lines|
| `csvjsonarray`|application/json|a JSON array, with each row as another array (the first row has the dimension names)|
| `tsv`|text/plain|like `csv` but TAB is used instead of comma to separate values (MS Excel flavor)|
| `html`|text/html|an html table|
| `markdown`|text/plain|markdown table|

In all formats the date and time is the first column.

The CSV formatter respects the following API `&options=`:

| option|supported|description|
|:----:|:-------:|:----------|
| `nonzero`|yes|to return only the dimensions that have at least a non-zero value|
| `flip`|yes|to return the rows older to newer (the default is newer to older)|
| `seconds`|yes|to return the date and time in unix timestamp|
| `ms`|yes|to return the date and time in unit timestamp as milliseconds|
| `percent`|yes|to replace all values with their percentage over the row total|
| `abs`|yes|to turn all values positive|
| `null2zero`|yes|to replace gaps with zeros (the default prints the string `null`|

## Examples

Get the system total bandwidth for all physical network interfaces, over the last hour,
in 6 rows (one for every 10 minutes), in `csv` format:

Netdata always returns bandwidth in `kilobits`.

```bash
# curl -Ss 'https://registry.my-netdata.io/api/v1/data?chart=system.net&format=csv&after=-3600&group=sum&points=6&options=abs'
time,received,sent
2018-10-26 23:50:00,90214.67847,215137.79762
2018-10-26 23:40:00,90126.32286,238587.57522
2018-10-26 23:30:00,86061.22688,213389.23526
2018-10-26 23:20:00,85590.75164,206129.01608
2018-10-26 23:10:00,83163.30691,194311.77384
2018-10-26 23:00:00,85167.29657,197538.07773
```

---

Get the max RAM used by the SQL server and any cron jobs, over the last hour, in 2 rows (one for every 30
minutes), in `tsv` format, and format the date and time as unix timestamp:

Netdata always returns memory in `MB`.

```bash
# curl -Ss 'https://registry.my-netdata.io/api/v1/data?chart=apps.mem&format=tsv&after=-3600&group=max&points=2&options=nonzero,seconds&dimensions=sql,cron'
time	sql	cron
1540598400	61.95703	0.25
1540596600	61.95703	0.25
```

---

Get an HTML table of the last 4 values (4 seconds) of system CPU utilization:

Netdata always returns CPU utilization as `%`.

```bash
# curl -Ss 'https://registry.my-netdata.io/api/v1/data?chart=system.cpu&format=html&after=-4&options=nonzero'
<html>
<center>
<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5">
<tr><td>time</td><td>softirq</td><td>user</td><td>system</td></tr>
<tr><td>2018-10-27 00:16:07</td><td>0.25</td><td>1</td><td>0.75</td></tr>
<tr><td>2018-10-27 00:16:06</td><td>0</td><td>1.0025063</td><td>0.5012531</td></tr>
<tr><td>2018-10-27 00:16:05</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>0.75</td></tr>
<tr><td>2018-10-27 00:16:04</td><td>0</td><td>1.0025063</td><td>0.7518797</td></tr>
</table>
</center>
</html>
```

This is how it looks when rendered by a web browser:

![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/2662304/47597887-bafbf480-d99c-11e8-864a-d880bb8d2e5b.png)

---

Get a JSON array with the average bandwidth rate of the mysql server, over the last hour, in 6 values
(one every 10 minutes), and return the date and time in milliseconds:

Netdata always returns bandwidth rates in `kilobits/s`.

```bash
# curl -Ss 'https://registry.my-netdata.io/api/v1/data?chart=mysql_local.net&format=csvjsonarray&after=-3600&points=6&group=average&options=abs,ms'
[
["time","in","out"],
[1540599600000,0.7499986,120.2810185],
[1540599000000,0.7500019,120.2815509],
[1540598400000,0.7499999,120.2812319],
[1540597800000,0.7500044,120.2819634],
[1540597200000,0.7499968,120.2807337],
[1540596600000,0.7499988,120.2810527]
]
```

---

Get the number of processes started per minute, for the last 10 minutes, in `markdown` format:

```bash
# curl -Ss 'https://registry.my-netdata.io/api/v1/data?chart=system.forks&format=markdown&after=-600&points=10&group=sum'
time               | started
:---:              |:---:
2018-10-27 03:52:00| 245.1706149
2018-10-27 03:51:00| 152.6654636
2018-10-27 03:50:00| 163.1755789
2018-10-27 03:49:00| 176.1574766
2018-10-27 03:48:00| 178.0137076
2018-10-27 03:47:00| 183.8306543
2018-10-27 03:46:00| 264.1635621
2018-10-27 03:45:00| 205.001551
2018-10-27 03:44:00| 7026.9852167
2018-10-27 03:43:00| 205.9904794
```

And this is how it looks when formatted:

| time                | started      |
|:--:|:-----:|
| 2018-10-27 03:52:00 | 245.1706149  |
| 2018-10-27 03:51:00 | 152.6654636  |
| 2018-10-27 03:50:00 | 163.1755789  |
| 2018-10-27 03:49:00 | 176.1574766  |
| 2018-10-27 03:48:00 | 178.0137076  |
| 2018-10-27 03:47:00 | 183.8306543  |
| 2018-10-27 03:46:00 | 264.1635621  |
| 2018-10-27 03:45:00 | 205.001551   |
| 2018-10-27 03:44:00 | 7026.9852167 |
| 2018-10-27 03:43:00 | 205.9904794  |


