Convert Typst to TSV

Why Convert Typst to TSV?

Converting Typst documents to TSV extracts tabular data from typeset documents into a clean, tab-delimited format that can be imported directly into spreadsheets, databases, and statistical software. Typst's #table() function defines tables with explicit column counts and cell contents, making automated data extraction straightforward and reliable.

TSV is preferred over CSV in many scientific contexts because tab characters rarely appear in data values, eliminating the quoting and escaping issues that plague CSV files. For research data that includes commas in text fields (descriptions, locations, chemical formulas), TSV provides unambiguous column separation without complex parsing rules.

Typst's scripting capabilities allow authors to generate tables from computed data using #let bindings, loops, and expressions. When converting to TSV, both manually authored and programmatically generated tables are captured, preserving the final computed values. This makes Typst-to-TSV conversion ideal for reproducible research workflows.

Command-line data processing tools like cut, sort, awk, and paste work seamlessly with TSV data. Converting research results from Typst to TSV enables Unix-style data pipelines for filtering, sorting, and aggregating results across multiple papers without requiring spreadsheet software.

Key Benefits of Converting Typst to TSV:

• Clean Data: Tab-delimited format avoids CSV quoting issues
• Spreadsheet Ready: Direct import into Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice
• Statistical Analysis: Load directly into R, Python/pandas, SPSS
• Command-Line: Process with cut, sort, awk, and other Unix tools
• Database Import: Bulk-load into PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite
• Reproducibility: Extract computed data from Typst scripts
• Simple Format: No complex parsing required

Practical Examples

Example 1: Research Results Table

Input Typst file (results.typ):

== Model Performance

#table(
  columns: 4,
  [*Model*], [*Accuracy*], [*F1 Score*], [*Latency*],
  [BERT],    [94.2%],      [93.8],       [12ms],
  [GPT-2],   [91.5%],      [90.9],       [18ms],
  [T5],      [95.1%],      [94.7],       [22ms],
)

Output TSV file (results.tsv):

Model	Accuracy	F1 Score	Latency
BERT	94.2%	93.8	12ms
GPT-2	91.5%	90.9	18ms
T5	95.1%	94.7	22ms

Example 2: Scripted Data Extraction

Input Typst file (data.typ):

#let experiments = (
  (trial: 1, temp: 25.3, pressure: 1.01, yield: 87.2),
  (trial: 2, temp: 30.1, pressure: 1.05, yield: 91.5),
  (trial: 3, temp: 35.7, pressure: 0.98, yield: 94.1),
)

#table(
  columns: 4,
  [Trial], [Temp (C)], [Pressure (atm)], [Yield (%)],
  ..experiments.map(e =>
    (str(e.trial), str(e.temp), str(e.pressure), str(e.yield))
  ).flatten()
)

Output TSV file (data.tsv):

Trial	Temp (C)	Pressure (atm)	Yield (%)
1	25.3	1.01	87.2
2	30.1	1.05	91.5
3	35.7	0.98	94.1

Example 3: Multi-Table Document

Input Typst file (survey.typ):

= Survey Results

== Demographics
#table(
  columns: 2,
  [*Age Group*], [*Count*],
  [18-24],       [42],
  [25-34],       [67],
  [35-44],       [53],
  [45+],         [38],
)

Output TSV file (survey.tsv):

Age Group	Count
18-24	42
25-34	67
35-44	53
45+	38

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is TSV format?

A: TSV (Tab-Separated Values) is a simple text format for tabular data where columns are separated by tab characters and rows by line breaks. It is widely used for data exchange between spreadsheets, databases, and analysis tools. TSV is simpler than CSV because tab characters rarely appear in data, avoiding quoting complications.

Q: Why TSV instead of CSV?

A: TSV is preferred when data contains commas (common in descriptions, addresses, and number formatting). Tab characters rarely appear in natural text, so TSV files rarely need quoting or escaping. This makes TSV simpler to parse, especially with command-line tools like cut and awk that can split on tabs directly.

Q: Which Typst content is converted to TSV?

A: The conversion extracts data from Typst #table() functions. Each table becomes a TSV dataset with the first row as headers. If a document contains multiple tables, they can be extracted individually. Non-tabular content like paragraphs and headings is not included in the TSV output.

Q: Can I open TSV files in Excel?

A: Yes. Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and LibreOffice Calc all support TSV import. In Excel, use File > Open and select the TSV file, or use the Text Import Wizard. Google Sheets can import TSV files directly. The data will be automatically separated into columns.

Q: How are Typst's scripted tables handled?

A: Tables generated through Typst scripting (#let, #for loops, .map()) are evaluated to their final content before TSV conversion. The TSV output contains the computed values, not the scripting code. This ensures the extracted data is ready for analysis regardless of how it was generated in Typst.

Q: Are mathematical expressions in tables preserved?

A: Math expressions in table cells are converted to their text representation. Simple expressions like $ x^2 $ become x^2, while complex formulas are linearized. For numerical data, the values are preserved as-is. TSV is primarily a data format, so visual mathematical formatting is not applicable.

Q: Can I load TSV data into R or Python?

A: Yes. In R, use `read.delim("file.tsv")` which defaults to tab separation. In Python with pandas, use `pd.read_csv("file.tsv", sep="\t")`. Both tools handle TSV natively and will correctly parse the tabular data into data frames for analysis.

Q: What about formatting like bold headers in Typst tables?

A: Formatting markup such as *bold* in Typst table headers is stripped during conversion. TSV is a plain data format with no formatting capabilities. Header text is preserved as clean column names without any markup characters, ready for use as column headers in spreadsheets and databases.