structured-text-tools
A curated list of command-line tools for manipulating structured text data like CSV, JSON, XML, YAML, and more.
What is structured-text-tools?
Structured text tools is a curated directory of command-line utilities for manipulating structured text data formats. It provides a centralized reference for tools that handle CSV, JSON, XML, YAML, TOML, HTML, and other formats, solving the problem of discovering and comparing CLI tools for data processing tasks.
Developers, data engineers, system administrators, and DevOps professionals who work with structured data in shell scripts, automation pipelines, or data analysis workflows.
It saves time by aggregating and categorizing a wide range of tools in one place, offering clear comparisons and reducing the need to search scattered sources for the right CLI utility.
Overview
A list of command-line tools for manipulating structured text data
Use Cases
Best For
- Converting data between formats like CSV to JSON or YAML to TOML
- Querying and filtering large JSON or CSV files from the command line
- Processing log files with specialized tools like lnav
- Manipulating configuration files (e.g., INI, .env, /etc/hosts)
- Interactive exploration of JSON or YAML data in the terminal
- Generating fake data for testing in CSV format
Not Ideal For
- Projects needing an all-in-one, integrated data processing suite with unified installation and support
- Teams requiring vetted, production-ready tools with guaranteed maintenance and security updates
- Environments where graphical interfaces or web-based tools are preferred over command-line utilities
- Users who want automated recommendations or comparisons based on specific performance benchmarks
Pros & Cons
Pros
The directory spans over a dozen structured formats, from common ones like CSV and JSON to niche ones like TOML and INI, as evidenced by the detailed sections in the README.
Tools are logically grouped by format (e.g., JSON, XML) and functionality (e.g., SQL-based, interactive TUIs), making it easy to browse and find utilities for specific tasks.
It highlights lesser-known tools like csvquote for CSV processing with awk, and notes cross-platform availability for tools like GoAWK, which offers Windows binaries.
The README emphasizes solving real-world data manipulation tasks without bias, curating tools based on utility rather than promoting any single solution.
Cons
This is merely a list; users must independently install, configure, and learn each tool, which adds overhead compared to integrated platforms or package managers.
The curator admits limitations, such as Augeas and Elektra having incomplete format support, and there's no vetting for tool reliability, security, or performance.
As a static list, it may become outdated; tools could be deprecated, have breaking changes, or lack updates, requiring users to verify current status themselves.
With multiple tools listed for similar purposes (e.g., jq, gojq, jaq for JSON), it can be confusing to choose the best option without additional research or benchmarks.
Frequently Asked Questions
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