CADXChange

All LISP commands

CXCSV2TXTExport and import (CSV)Version 1.0.0Tested in AutoCAD

Place text from a CSV file

Reads x, y and text from a spreadsheet file and puts a text at every position, with an optional height and rotation per row.

Download cxcsv2txt.lspLISP terms

How to use it

  1. Prepare a CSV with columns x, y, text and optionally height and rotation in degrees.
  2. Type CXCSV2TXT and choose the file.
  3. The texts are placed in the current layer and style.

Good to know

  • A header line is skipped automatically.

Load it in AutoCAD

  1. Save the file anywhere you like.
  2. Type APPLOAD, pick the file and choose Load.
  3. Type the command name: CXCSV2TXT.

To have it at every start, add it to the Startup Suite in the same dialog, or load a whole folder at once with the optional loader. About the optional loader

Tested in AutoCAD (full version). Other programs that run AutoLISP may work, but they are not tested.

The code

Plain text, nothing hidden. Copy it into a file named cxcsv2txt.lsp, or download it.

;;; ============================================================================
;;; CXCSV2TXT - Place text from a CSV file
;;; Version 1.0.0
;;; CADXChange LISP tools - https://cadxchange.net/resources/lisp/cxcsv2txt
;;; Tested in: AutoCAD (full version). Other programs that run AutoLISP may work but are not tested.
;;; Copyright (c) CADXChange. Free for personal and commercial use; do not resell or
;;; republish it as a collection. Terms: https://cadxchange.net/legal/lisp-terms
;;; ============================================================================

;; Place text from CSV ROWS: x, y, text, and optionally height (default HEIGHT) and rotation in degrees.
;; A row whose coordinates are not numbers (a header, for instance) is skipped. Returns how many texts were made.
(defun cx:csv2txt-run (rows height layer / n)
  (setq n 0)
  (foreach r rows
    (if (and (cdr r) (cddr r) (numberp (read (car r))) (numberp (read (cadr r))))
      (progn
        (entmakex (list '(0 . "TEXT") (cons 8 layer) (list 10 (atof (car r)) (atof (cadr r)) 0.0)
                        (cons 40 (if (and (> (length r) 3) (> (atof (nth 3 r)) 0.0)) (atof (nth 3 r)) height))
                        (cons 1 (caddr r))
                        (cons 50 (if (> (length r) 4) (* pi (/ (atof (nth 4 r)) 180.0)) 0.0))
                        (cons 7 (getvar "TEXTSTYLE")) '(100 . "AcDbText")))
        (setq n (1+ n)))))
  n)

(defun c:CXCSV2TXT ( / *error* cx:sv file rows)
  (setq *error* cx:err)
  (if (setq file (cx:file-open "CSV file with x, y, text"))
    (if (setq rows (cx:csv-rows file))
      (progn
        (cx:start '(("CMDECHO" . 0)))
        (princ (strcat "\n" (itoa (cx:csv2txt-run rows (getvar "TEXTSIZE") (getvar "CLAYER"))) " text(s) placed."))
        (cx:end))
      (princ "\nThe file could not be read.")))
  (princ))


;;; ---- Shared helpers (used by the command above; identical in every CADXChange tool) ----

;; Close the undo step and put the system variables back.
(defun cx:end ()
  (foreach v cx:sv (setvar (car v) (cdr v)))
  (command "_.UNDO" "_End")
  (setq cx:sv nil)
  (princ))

;; Error handler: restores everything, stays quiet on Esc.
(defun cx:err (msg)
  (if (> (getvar "CMDACTIVE") 0) (command))
  (cx:end)
  (if (and msg (not (wcmatch (strcase msg) "*BREAK*,*CANCEL*,*EXIT*")))
    (princ (strcat "\nError: " msg)))
  (princ))

;; Ask which CSV file to read. Returns a path or nil. With FILEDIA 0 the name is typed at the command line.
(defun cx:file-open (title / f)
  (if (= (getvar "FILEDIA") 0)
    (progn
      (setq f (getstring T (strcat "\n" title ": ")))
      (if (= f "") nil f))
    (getfiled title (getvar "DWGPREFIX") "csv" 4)))

;; All lines of a text file, or nil when it cannot be opened.
(defun cx:read-lines (file / f l out)
  (if (setq f (open file "r"))
    (progn
      (while (setq l (read-line f)) (setq out (cons l out)))
      (close f)
      (reverse out))))

;; One CSV line to a list of strings (handles quotes and doubled quotes).
(defun cx:csv-parse (line / out cur q i c)
  (setq out nil cur "" q nil i 1)
  (while (<= i (strlen line))
    (setq c (substr line i 1))
    (cond
      ((and q (= c "\"") (= (substr line (1+ i) 1) "\""))
       (setq cur (strcat cur "\"") i (1+ i)))
      ((= c "\"") (setq q (not q)))
      ((and (= c ",") (not q)) (setq out (cons cur out) cur ""))
      (T (setq cur (strcat cur c))))
    (setq i (1+ i)))
  (reverse (cons cur out)))

;; Remove spaces and tabs at both ends.
(defun cx:trim (s / a b)
  (setq a 1 b (strlen s))
  (while (and (<= a b) (member (substr s a 1) '(" " "\t"))) (setq a (1+ a)))
  (while (and (>= b a) (member (substr s b 1) '(" " "\t"))) (setq b (1- b)))
  (substr s a (max 0 (1+ (- b a)))))

;; The rows of a CSV file as lists of strings, empty lines skipped; nil when the file cannot be read.
(defun cx:csv-rows (file / out)
  (foreach l (cx:read-lines file)
    (if (/= (cx:trim l) "") (setq out (cons (cx:csv-parse l) out))))
  (reverse out))

;; Save the system variables in VARS ((name . value) ...), set them, and open one undo step.
;; The caller declares cx:sv as a local so the saved values live exactly as long as the command.
(defun cx:start (vars)
  (setq cx:sv (mapcar (function (lambda (v) (cons (car v) (getvar (car v))))) vars))
  (command "_.UNDO" "_Begin")
  (foreach v vars (setvar (car v) (cdr v)))
  (princ))

(princ "\nCXCSV2TXT loaded. Type CXCSV2TXT to start.")
(princ)

Version history

Version 1.0.0 · 27 Ekim 2026

First release.

More commands: Export and import (CSV)