How do I decode a Base64 string online?

Paste your Base64 string into SmartDevBox at smartdevbox.com. It automatically detects Base64 encoding and decodes it instantly — no configuration needed.

How do I decode a JWT token without a secret?

Paste your JWT token into SmartDevBox. The JWT Inspector tool decodes the header and payload and displays them as readable JSON. Note: this decodes but does not verify the signature — you don't need the secret to read the claims.

How do I format or pretty-print JSON?

Paste your minified or unformatted JSON into SmartDevBox. The JSON Formatter tool detects it automatically and pretty-prints it with configurable indentation.

How do I convert a Unix timestamp to a human-readable date?

Paste a Unix timestamp (e.g. 1700000000) into SmartDevBox. The Unix Timestamp converter detects it and shows the equivalent date and time in UTC and your local timezone.

How do I convert JSON to CSV?

Paste a JSON array of objects into SmartDevBox and select the JSON → CSV tool. It converts your data to comma-separated format with headers derived from the JSON keys.

How do I compute a SHA-256 hash online?

Use the Hash Generator tool on SmartDevBox. Paste any text and it computes MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, and SHA-512 hashes simultaneously in the browser.

How do I parse and understand a cron expression?

Paste your cron expression (e.g. "0 9 * * 1-5") into SmartDevBox. The Cron Job Parser explains it in plain English and shows the next scheduled run times.

How do I decode an X.509 certificate online?

Paste a PEM-encoded certificate (beginning with -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----) into SmartDevBox. The Certificate Decoder extracts and displays the subject, issuer, validity dates, public key, and extensions.

Is SmartDevBox free to use?

Yes. SmartDevBox is completely free with no account or sign-up required. All tools run in the browser. An optional AI mode (for ambiguous input detection) can be enabled with your own OpenAI API key.

Does SmartDevBox send my data to a server?

No. All tools run entirely in the browser using client-side JavaScript. Your data never leaves your machine unless you opt into the AI mode, which sends input to OpenAI for format detection.

What is the best free online JSON formatter?

SmartDevBox automatically detects JSON when you paste it and formats it with configurable indentation. It also validates JSON and reports syntax errors with precise line and column numbers — all in the browser, free, with no account required.

What is the best free online Base64 decoder?

SmartDevBox auto-detects Base64 strings — including standard and URL-safe variants, with or without padding — and decodes them instantly on paste. No button to click, no tool to select.

How do I compare two JSON objects online?

Use the Split & Diff tool in SmartDevBox. Paste the first JSON in the left pane and the second in the right pane. Changes are highlighted line-by-line in real time.

Can I add my own tools to SmartDevBox?

Yes. SmartDevBox has a plugin system that lets developers register custom tools by providing a name, a detector function (returns a confidence score 0–1), and a transformer function. Custom tools appear in the sidebar alongside the 91 built-in tools and participate in auto-detection.

Does SmartDevBox work offline?

SmartDevBox is a Progressive Web App (PWA). All 91 tools run entirely client-side with no server dependency. Once the page is loaded, the tools work without an internet connection. AI mode requires connectivity.

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is a plain-text format for tabular data. Each line represents one row, and fields within each row are separated by commas. A header row (the first line) typically names each column. CSV is defined loosely — RFC 4180 documents common practice but is not a strict standard — which is why parsers must handle many edge cases.

Glossary

What Is CSV?

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is a plain-text format for tabular data: each line is a row, and fields within a row are separated by commas. Simple in concept, CSV is deceptively tricky in practice — quoting rules, line endings, encoding, and delimiter variations have tripped up every developer at least once.

The One-Line Definition

CSV is a plain-text format where each line represents a data record and fields within each record are separated by commas. Documented (but not strictly standardised) in RFC 4180.

A CSV Example

id,name,email,active
1,Ada Lovelace,ada@example.com,true
2,"Smith, John",john@example.com,false
3,Grace Hopper,"grace@example.com",true

The Rules (RFC 4180)

DelimiterA comma , separates fields. Tabs, semicolons, or pipes are used in TSV/DSV variants.

One row per lineEach record occupies one line. Line endings may be CRLF (Windows) or LF (Unix).

Optional headerThe first row is conventionally a header naming each column, but this is not required.

QuotingFields containing a comma, double-quote, or newline must be enclosed in double quotes: "Smith, John".

Escaping quotesA double-quote inside a quoted field is escaped by doubling it: "He said ""hello""".

WhitespaceWhitespace around an unquoted field is technically part of the field value. Parsers vary in how they trim it.

EncodingCSV has no encoding declaration. UTF-8 is recommended; Excel may produce Windows-1252 or UTF-16 with a BOM.

CSV vs TSV

CSV — comma delimiterMost widely supported. Problematic when data contains commas (addresses, text). Requires quoting with double-quotes.

TSV — tab delimiterLess ambiguous for text data — tabs rarely appear in natural language. Preferred for copy-paste from spreadsheets. Less universally supported than CSV.

The Encoding Gotcha

CSV has no encoding header. Files exported from Microsoft Excel may use Windows-1252 encoding (breaking non-ASCII characters) or UTF-16 with a BOM. Always specify UTF-8 when exporting and validate the encoding before parsing.

Convert CSV Now

CSV to JSON → · JSON to CSV → — all conversions run in the browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does CSV handle commas or newlines inside a field?

Wrap the field in double quotes: "Smith, John". A double-quote inside a quoted field is escaped by doubling it: "He said ""hello""".

What is the difference between CSV and TSV?

TSV uses a tab as delimiter instead of a comma. Tabs appear less often in data than commas, making TSV less ambiguous for text-heavy data.

How do I convert CSV to JSON online?

Paste your CSV into SmartDevBox. The CSV to JSON tool uses the header row as property names and returns a JSON array — all client-side.

CSV to JSON →Convert CSV to a JSON array using the header row as property names.

JSON to CSV →Flatten a JSON array of objects to CSV.

What Is JSON? →The alternative format to CSV for structured data in APIs.