How to Efficiently Add a name Column to Multiple CSV Files Using Python

Learn how to extract CSV file names and manipulate data in bulk using Python with simple, effective code solutions.
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How to Efficiently Add a name Column to Multiple CSV Files Using Python

Managing multiple CSV files can quickly become a tedious job, especially when there are over 20 or 30 files involved. This is a common scenario where you might need to perform similar operations on multiple files, such as adding a new column that includes the file's name within the file itself.

In this guide, you will learn a step-by-step guide on how to automate this process using Python. We will use the pandas library, along with glob and os, to efficiently add a new column named name to each CSV file containing the respective file's name.

The Problem

You have multiple CSV files, for example:

ABCD.csv

EFGH.csv

IJKL.csv

MNOP.csv

These files are located in a folder path like D:\sevenday. You want each file to contain a new column called name, which stores the file's name (e.g., ABCD for ABCD.csv). Manually editing each file is tedious and time-consuming. The question arises: Is there a way to automate this?

The Solution

Yes! Here’s how you can use Python to add the desired column to all your CSV files simultaneously.

Step 1: Import Required Libraries

First, you'll need to import the necessary libraries. You can install pandas if you haven't already:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Then, in your Python script, import the libraries:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 2: Locate Your CSV Files

Use the glob module to list all the CSV files within the specified directory:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This line of code finds all files in the D:\sevenday directory that have a .csv extension and stores them in a list called files.

Step 3: Read Each File, Add the New Column, and Save

You can loop through each file in the files list, extract the desired name from the file path, and add it as a new column in the DataFrame:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation of the Code

.replace('.csv', ''): This removes the .csv extension, resulting in just ABCD to be used as the value in the new column.

df['name'] = name: Here, you create a new column name and populate it with the respective file name.

Conclusion

By using Python in conjunction with the glob, os, and pandas libraries, you can save time and effort when dealing with multiple CSV files. No more tedious manual changes—just run the script, and all files will be updated automatically!

Feel free to adapt the script to your own needs, such as modifying other columns or performing even more advanced data manipulations. Happy coding!