What is CSV data?CSV stands for "Comma Separate Values". Any table data, Excel data, or data separated by rows and columns from any source written in a flat text file and separated by commas is known as CSV data. By definition and convention CSV data should be separated by commas using the CSV file extension ".csv" However, in practical use there is frequently a breach of this convention. Data is often separated by another character or character set (a tab, an I, a semicolon, etc.), and the file extension can be notated as ".txt", or any other way depending on the choice of the person exporting the data. Why is CSV data so popular?As CSV data is stored in text format and separated by a separator, it is easy to either read directly from the file or insert data from an external system. Because the data is text data (not binary), importing text data never entails a security risk. The firewall does not block text data flow on the network. Because of easy and risk free portability CSV data is the de facto data transfer method between two systems. Do you really need CSV exports of your merchant and affiliate reports?You will need CSV exports only if you want to use report data in another system. You may need it in the following situations: - You want to open a report in Excel and show it to a business consultant or a business manager
- You want to import the report data to your accounting system
- You want to move data to another system for further analysis
- You want to move a report to your ERP system
- You want to keep certain data as backup to be used by another system in the future.
Do all affiliate software products come with this tool?No. This technology does not normally come with popular affiliate software products. Before you purchase any affiliate software, always view a demo first to ensure that it is powered with CSV capability. | 
