In the transformation of a comma-separated values (CSV) string into a 2D array, the following steps are employed:

1. Detection of the Newline Character

   – Utilize Array.prototype.indexOf() to identify the initial occurrence of the newline character (\n).

2. Removal of the Title Row (if specified)

   – Use Array.prototype.slice() to eliminate the first row (commonly known as the title row) if the omitFirstRow parameter is set to true.

3. String Segmentation into Rows

   – Employ String.prototype.split() to create separate strings for each row.

4. Value Separation within Rows

   – Use String.prototype.split() again to separate the values within each row, employing the provided delimiter.

If the delimiter is not explicitly provided, it defaults to ‘,’ (a comma). Similarly, if omitFirstRow is not specified, the first row (title row) of the CSV string will be included.

This CSV to 2D array conversion function is named `CSVToArray`, and it can be implemented as follows:

```javascript
const CSVToArray = (data, delimiter = ',', omitFirstRow = false) =>
  data
    .slice(omitFirstRow ? data.indexOf('\n') + 1 : 0)
    .split('\n')
    .map(v => v.split(delimiter));
```

Examples of its usage are as follows:

• Example 1:

```javascript
CSVToArray('a,b\nc,d'); // Results in: [['a', 'b'], ['c', 'd']];
```

• Example 2:

```javascript
CSVToArray('a;b\nc;d', ';'); // Results in: [['a', 'b'], ['c', 'd']];
```

• Example 3:

```javascript
CSVToArray('col1,col2\na,b\nc,d', ',', true); // Results in: [['a', 'b'], ['c', 'd']];
```

These examples demonstrate the versatile functionality of the `CSVToArray` function for converting CSV strings into 2D arrays.

To wrap up

In conclusion, the `CSVToArray` function is a versatile tool for converting comma-separated values (CSV) strings into 2D arrays. It follows a structured approach, which includes detecting newline characters, optionally omitting the first row (title row), and efficiently segmenting the string into rows and values based on the specified delimiter.

Whether you need to process standard CSV data or custom-delimited files, this function provides a convenient way to transform your data into a format suitable for further manipulation and analysis within your JavaScript applications. Its flexibility allows you to adapt it to various CSV formats, making it a valuable asset for data handling tasks.