Sort a CSV by date in Python

Title: Sorting a CSV by Date in Python: A Step-by-Step Tutorial
Introduction:
Sorting a CSV file by date in Python is a common task when dealing with data that contains date or time-related information. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the process of reading a CSV file, sorting it by date, and saving the sorted data back to a new CSV file. We will use Python's built-in csv module and the datetime module to achieve this.
Prerequisites:
Step 1: Import Required Modules
We need the csv and datetime modules to read and manipulate our CSV data. Import them at the beginning of your Python script.
Step 2: Read the CSV File
To read the CSV file, you can use the csv.reader class from the csv module. Make sure to open the file in read mode ('r').
Step 3: Sort the Data by Date
Now that we have read the CSV data, we need to sort it by date. We will use the sorted function with a custom sorting key. We'll parse the date strings in the CSV using the datetime.strptime method to compare and sort them correctly.
Assuming your date column is in the first position (index 0), adjust this code if your date column is in a different position:
Make sure to replace '%Y-%m-%d' with the format of your date. The example assumes dates are in the format 'YYYY-MM-DD'.
Step 4: Save the Sorted Data to a New CSV File
To save the sorted data to a new CSV file, you can use the csv.writer class from the csv module.
Step 5: Run the Script
Save your script and run it. Make sure you have your 'data.csv' file in the same directory as your script. It will create a new CSV file named 'sorted_data.csv' containing your data sorted by date.
Conclusion:
You've now successfully sorted a CSV file by date in Python. This tutorial covered importing necessary modules, reading the CSV file, sorting the data, and saving the sorted data to a new CSV file. You can adapt this code for different date formats and column positions in your CSV file.
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