Implement data import/export module + user-friendly CSV/Excel UI for visualizations

[thedgarg31]

Current Limitations:

• Dataverse provides powerful visualization and analysis tools, but lacks intuitive data import/export capabilities for CSV or Excel.
• Users must manually format data (e.g. via MySQL or command line) to get visualizations running—tools for seamless spreadsheet workflows are missing.

Why It Matters:

1. Lower barrier to entry for users less comfortable with database tools.
2. Streamlined workflows: scientists and financial users can upload CSVs or Excel files and immediately visualize or analyze their data.
3. Modern user experience: building a file upload interface paired with backend parsing significantly enhances usability.

Proposed Solution:

• Add a file import feature (CSV / XLSX).
• Backend logic to parse uploaded file into the existing database schema (e.g. MySQL via Pandas or Python CSV/XLSX parser).
• Clean error-handling for invalid columns or malformed data.
• Frontend UI (HTML/JavaScript) to upload file, preview sample rows, map columns if needed, and trigger import.
• Optional: export existing datasets as CSV/XLSX for users to download or share.

Technical Outline:

1. Extend the web UI (e.g. new page or modal) to support file upload.
2. Parse file on server using Python (pandas or csv / openpyxl) and validate column types.
3. Insert parsed data into corresponding tables (or into a preview schema).
4. Provide success feedback and basic summary (rows added, ignored).
5. Add a simple export function to dump tables as CSV/XLSX.

Expected Outcomes:

• Smooth onboarding for non‑tech users to load and visualize their own data.
• Dataset portability: export any visualized dataset back to spreadsheet formats.
• Makes Dataverse more inclusive for research/finance users working in Excel toolchains.

Difficulty Level:

Hard — involves backend logic for parsing/importing, front-end integration, validation and error handling, and exporting logic.

Why This Is Unique:

• Dataverse currently lacks request or issue for spreadsheet import/export features.
• Elevates usability and expands target user base.
• Aligns with the project’s goal: “organizing, analyzing and visualizing data” in real‑world workflows :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

---

🙋 Ready to Contribute

I am fully prepared to take on this feature end-to-end:

• Build upload/export UI in HTML/JS
• Implement backend parsing and validation
• Integrate data into MySQL schema
• Provide clear user feedback

Please assign this issue if it aligns with your roadmap—I’d love to get started!

---

If you'd like a shortened version (title + bullet summary) for quick GitHub issue posting or a draft assignment request comment, just let me know—I’d be glad to prepare that too!

[github-actions]

👋 Thank you for raising an issue! We appreciate your effort in helping us improve. A maintainer from Dataverse will review it shortly. Stay tuned!