File Parsing
File parsing is the process of reading and interpreting structured or semi-structured data from files, such as text, CSV, JSON, XML, or binary formats, to extract meaningful information for use in software applications. It involves techniques like tokenization, pattern matching, and data validation to convert raw file content into usable data structures like arrays, objects, or databases. This is a fundamental skill in programming for tasks like data import, configuration management, and log analysis.
Developers should learn file parsing to handle common scenarios like processing user-uploaded data (e.g., CSV files for reports), reading configuration files (e.g., JSON or YAML for app settings), or analyzing logs (e.g., text files for debugging). It's essential in data-driven applications, automation scripts, and system integrations where external data sources need to be consumed programmatically, ensuring robust and error-tolerant input handling.