CSV
CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is a simple, plain-text file format used to store tabular data, such as spreadsheets or databases, where each line represents a row and values are separated by commas or other delimiters. It is widely supported across various software applications and programming languages for data import/export, making it a common choice for data exchange and analysis tasks. In the context of graphs, CSV files are often used as a data source to feed information into graphing libraries or tools for visualization.
Developers should learn and use CSV for graphs when they need a lightweight, human-readable, and universally compatible format to store or transfer data that will be visualized, such as in data science projects, reporting dashboards, or web applications. It is particularly useful for quick prototyping, sharing datasets with non-technical stakeholders, or integrating with graphing tools like D3.js, Matplotlib, or Tableau, as it avoids complex dependencies and simplifies data parsing.