A command-line data visualization tool
Data Exploration
© Photo by Dane Deaner on Unsplash
VisiData lets you easily manage, process, and view tabular data from multiple sources, all from the command line.
If you are looking for a way to manage your data from multiple sources, VisiData [1] can do the job. VisiData is a command-line tool that analyzes, reformats, and merges datasets in many different formats. It supports plain text files that contain JSON, XML, or Comma/Tab Separated Value (CSV/TSV) data; Python pandas DataFrames [2]; HTML tables; SQL databases; geospatial sets; OpenDocument or Microsoft Office spreadsheets; and more.
If data can be structured as tables consisting of rows and columns [3], VisiData can be the most efficient way to process the data in many cases. Being a command-line tool, VisiData is very fast, even with very big tables. You also can use VisiData across SSH connections or inside scripts, and it is easy to extend with Python functions. Finally, VisiData can process and even join datasets with different formats in the same session.
It helps to know a a little bit of Python, but you don't need to actually code anything to do lots of useful and fun stuff with VisiData. In this article, I will cover the main VisiData commands and tools, and then I'll show you VisiData's power with some simple examples using my personal database.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
MX Linux 25.1 Features Dual Init System ISO
The latest release of MX Linux caters to lovers of two different init systems and even offers instructions on how to transition.
-
Photoshop on Linux?
A developer has patched Wine so that it'll run specific versions of Photoshop that depend on Adobe Creative Cloud.
-
Linux Mint 22.3 Now Available with New Tools
Linux Mint 22.3 has been released with a pair of new tools for system admins and some pretty cool new features.
-
New Linux Malware Targets Cloud-Based Linux Installations
VoidLink, a new Linux malware, should be of real concern because of its stealth and customization.
-
Say Goodbye to Middle-Mouse Paste
Both Gnome and Firefox have proposed getting rid of a long-time favorite Linux feature.
-
Manjaro 26.0 Primary Desktop Environments Default to Wayland
If you want to stick with X.Org, you'll be limited to the desktop environments you can choose.
-
Mozilla Plans to AI-ify Firefox
With a new CEO in control, Mozilla is doubling down on a strategy of trust, all the while leaning into AI.
-
Gnome Says No to AI-Generated Extensions
If you're a developer wanting to create a new Gnome extension, you'd best set aside that AI code generator, because the extension team will have none of that.
-
Parrot OS Switches to KDE Plasma Desktop
Yet another distro is making the move to the KDE Plasma desktop.
-
TUXEDO Announces Gemini 17
TUXEDO Computers has released the fourth generation of its Gemini laptop with plenty of updates.

