PraisonAI/examples/python/concepts/CSV_PROCESSING_README.md

CSV Processing with PraisonAI Agents

This document answers GitHub Issue #23: "How to pass in a CSV file" and provides multiple solutions for processing CSV files with PraisonAI agents.

Quick Answer

Yes, it's absolutely possible! PraisonAI provides multiple ways to process CSV files with agents working through the list sequentially.

The Simplest Solution

For the exact use case mentioned in the issue (CSV list of URLs processed sequentially):

from praisonaiagents import Agent, Task, PraisonAIAgents

# Create your agent
agent = Agent(
    name="URLProcessor",
    instructions="Analyze each URL from the CSV file"
)

# Create a loop task
task = Task(
    description="Process each URL from the CSV",
    agent=agent,
    task_type="loop",           # Enable CSV loop processing
    input_file="your_urls.csv"  # Your CSV file
)

# Run the agents
agents = PraisonAIAgents(
    agents=[agent],
    tasks=[task],
    process="workflow"
)

agents.start()

CSV File Format

Your CSV file should have a simple structure. For URLs:

url
https://example.com
https://github.com
https://stackoverflow.com

Or with additional columns:

url,description
https://example.com,Example website
https://github.com,GitHub platform
https://stackoverflow.com,Q&A site

Available Methods

Method 1: Simple Loop Processing (Recommended)

• File: simple-csv-url-processor.py
• Best for: Beginners, simple use cases
• How it works: Uses task_type="loop" to automatically process each CSV row

Method 2: Manual CSV Processing

• File: csv-processing-agents.py (Method 2)
• Best for: When you need more control over validation and processing
• How it works: Uses CSV tools (read_csv, write_csv) for manual processing

Method 3: URL-Specific Processing

• File: csv-processing-agents.py (Method 3)
• Best for: Specifically processing URLs with detailed analysis
• How it works: Combines CSV tools with URL analysis logic

Method 4: Advanced Processing with Validation

• File: csv-processing-agents.py (Method 4)
• Best for: Production use cases requiring data validation
• How it works: Validates data before processing, handles errors gracefully

Built-in CSV Tools

PraisonAI includes powerful CSV tools:

from praisonaiagents.tools import read_csv, write_csv, merge_csv

# Read CSV files
data = read_csv("input.csv")

# Write CSV files  
write_csv("output.csv", data)

# Merge multiple CSV files
merge_csv(["file1.csv", "file2.csv"], "merged.csv")

Examples for Different Use Cases

Processing URLs from CSV

# Your CSV: urls.csv
# url,priority
# https://example.com,high
# https://github.com,medium

agent = Agent(
    name="URLAnalyzer",
    tools=[read_csv, write_csv],
    instructions="Analyze URLs based on priority"
)

Processing Any Text File

# For text files, you can convert to CSV format first
# Or process line by line using file tools

Batch Processing Tasks

# Your CSV: tasks.csv  
# task
# "Analyze competitor website"
# "Research market trends"
# "Generate report summary"

task = Task(
    description="Complete each task from the CSV",
    task_type="loop",
    input_file="tasks.csv"
)

Prerequisites

1. Install PraisonAI Agents:

   pip install praisonaiagents
   

2. Set API Key:

   export OPENAI_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
   

3. Install pandas (for advanced CSV operations):

   pip install pandas
   

Running the Examples

1. Simple URL Processing:

   python simple-csv-url-processor.py
   

2. Comprehensive Examples:

   python csv-processing-agents.py
   

Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

1. "CSV file not found"

   • Make sure your CSV file is in the same directory as your script
   • Use absolute paths if needed: /full/path/to/your/file.csv

2. "pandas not available"

   • Install pandas: pip install pandas

3. "API key not set"

   • Set your OpenAI API key: export OPENAI_API_KEY=your_key

4. Processing stops early

   • Increase max_iter parameter in PraisonAIAgents
   • Check for errors in your CSV format

CSV Format Tips:

• Use UTF-8 encoding
• Ensure consistent column headers
• Handle special characters properly
• Keep URLs properly formatted (http:// or https://)

Related Documentation

• CSV Tools Documentation
• Repetitive Agents
• Agent Examples

Support

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the troubleshooting section above
2. Review the example files for working implementations
3. Open an issue on the GitHub repository with your specific use case

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This solution was generated in response to GitHub Issue #23