Export SQL Data with Semicolon Delimiter
Convert SQL INSERT data to semicolon-delimited CSV. Semicolons are the default CSV delimiter in many European locales where commas are used as decimal separators.
Detailed Explanation
Semicolon-Delimited CSV
In many European countries, the comma serves as a decimal separator (e.g., 1.234,56 instead of 1,234.56). To avoid confusion, European versions of Excel and other tools default to semicolons as CSV delimiters. The SQL to CSV tool supports this out of the box.
Example SQL
INSERT INTO prices (id, product, price_eur, vat_rate, stock) VALUES
(1, 'Laptop Pro', 1299.99, 19.0, 42),
(2, 'Wireless Mouse', 29.99, 19.0, 350),
(3, 'USB-C Adapter', 15.50, 19.0, 1200);
Semicolon-Delimited Output
id;product;price_eur;vat_rate;stock
1;Laptop Pro;1299.99;19.0;42
2;Wireless Mouse;29.99;19.0;350
3;USB-C Adapter;15.50;19.0;1200
European Locale Considerations
| Locale | Decimal Separator | CSV Delimiter |
|---|---|---|
| US, UK, Japan | Period (.) | Comma (,) |
| Germany, France, Italy | Comma (,) | Semicolon (;) |
| Switzerland | Period or comma | Semicolon (;) |
When to Use Semicolons
- Opening CSV in European locale Excel installations
- Importing to SAP, Oracle EBS, or other European enterprise systems
- Sharing data with teams in Europe where comma-as-decimal is standard
- When your data contains many commas (addresses, descriptions)
The tool generates the same well-formed output regardless of delimiter — fields are quoted when they contain the delimiter character, newlines, or the quote character.
Use Case
Exporting data for use in European Excel installations or European enterprise systems where semicolons are the expected CSV delimiter due to comma decimal separators.