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[PROPOSAL] - CSV ↔ JSON Converter #14

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Description

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Existing Coverage Check

Reviewed before proposing:

This is net-new. CSV↔JSON conversion is explicitly listed as a research focus in AGENTS.md ("CSV to JSON") and has no existing spec, issue, or live tool in this repo.


Specify Draft Summary

Spec: specs/003-csv-json-converter/spec.md

Problem: Developers and data analysts need to move between CSV and JSON constantly — exporting from databases, feeding APIs, converting spreadsheet data. Every mainstream tool for this is either ad-heavy (convertcsv.com, csvjson.com), requires sign-up for full features, or sends data to a server for no reason. The conversion is trivially browser-native.

Users: Developers, data analysts, technical users working with API data or spreadsheet exports.

Scope (3 prioritised stories):

Priority Story Description
P1 CSV → JSON Paste or upload CSV, select delimiter, get pretty-printed JSON array — copy or download
P2 JSON → CSV Paste JSON array, get properly-quoted CSV with header row — copy or download
P3 File upload Drag-and-drop .csv or .json file to populate the editor and auto-convert

Key requirements: bidirectional, delimiter choice (comma / semicolon / tab), RFC 4180-compliant CSV quoting, copy-to-clipboard, download, clear/reset, error messages for malformed input, 100% browser-local.

Acceptance criteria: SC-001 zero bytes transmitted; SC-002 1,000-row CSV converts in <1s; SC-003 full workflow in <30s; SC-004/SC-005 output passes JSON schema and RFC 4180 validation.


The Gap

convertcsv.com and csvjson.com are the dominant results for "convert csv to json online" — both are cluttered with ads, confusing option sets, and unnecessary server round-trips. The conversion requires zero server involvement; it is pure in-browser JS. A clean, private, instant alternative does not exist as a standalone tool.

Competitor Evidence

Tool Problem
convertcsv.com Heavy ad load, multiple confusing option screens, server-side
csvjson.com Ads, some features require account, server-based
data.page Requires server upload
Spreadsheet editors Over-engineered; overkill for a quick one-off conversion

Search phrases users type: convert csv to json online, csv to json converter free, json to csv online, paste csv get json


The Tech

API / Capability Role
File API Load .csv / .json from disk without upload
Vanilla JS (no library) RFC 4180 CSV parser + JSON serialiser — pure JS, no dependencies
Clipboard API Copy output to clipboard
Blob + URL.createObjectURL Trigger local file download

No third-party libraries needed. Ships as index.html + main.js + style.css under /tools/csv-json-converter/.

Usability Controls

  • Mode toggle: CSV→JSON / JSON→CSV switch
  • Delimiter picker: comma, semicolon, tab
  • Copy to clipboard with confirmation flash
  • Download as .json or .csv
  • Clear / Reset button
  • Error display: clear message for malformed input, no crash
  • Preview: output visible before download

Complexity: 2 / 10

Purely algorithmic — no binary processing, no heavy libraries, no worker threads. The CSV parser needs RFC 4180 quoting rules; the JSON serialiser is a single JSON.stringify. This is one of the simplest tools in the portfolio.

Generated by Market Research Discovery ·

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