What Is a CSI File?

This article describes which formats use the CSI file extension and how to open or convert each kind.

What Is a CSI File?

A file with the CSI file extension is most likely an EdLog program data file; a custom data logging program built for Campbell Scientific dataloggers. The program code within the file is compiled to make an EdLog program with the DLD extension.

ContentServ CS EMMS Suite uses the CSI extension, too, but for ConentServ Include files. These are source code files that can contain variables and functions for other ContentServ projects to reference.

If your file isn't in either of those formats, it may instead be a Challan status inquiry file, Cyberautograph signed item file, or Adobe Contribute shared settings file. Some CSI files are seen with Microsoft SharePoint as a temporary file that was created during a backup.

How to Open a CSI File

If your file refers to an EdLog program data file, it can be opened with Campbell Scientific's LoggerNet.

ConentServ Include files that have the CSI extension are used with ContentServ's EMMS.

A common question surrounding this file type is how to open a Challan status inquiry file from NSDL. The TaxCloudIndia website has step-by-step instructions on downloading the CSI file from NSDL. You can most likely open it with a text editor.

Adobe Contribute, a now-discontinued HTML editor, uses the .CSI extension for configuration files. They store information on how the program should manage a website. They typically have an obscure file name and are stored in a folder called _mm in the root folder of the website.

Microsoft SharePoint uses CSI files, too. Others might be Cyberautograph signed item files, but we don't have any information on what they're used for or what program opens them.

How to Convert a CSI File

Since there are a number of possible formats for a CSI file to be in, we suggest you first open it in the program that it belongs to, and then, if possible, save the open file to another format. Generally, the conversion option is found in the program's File menu or through an Export button.

However, of all the formats mentioned above, it's probably only the Challan status inquiry files that can be converted. If you're sharing the file with someone else, or you have to convert it to a new format for a specific reason, it's probably best to choose something more common.

Since the format is most likely text-based, you can probably convert it to PDF or other text file formats compatible with MS Excel or Word, like XLSX or DOCX. To do this, open the file in a text editor and then save it to a basic text format that Word and Excel are able to open, like TXT. To get that TXT file in the PDF format, you can use FileZigZag.

Still Can't Open It?

Other formats share some of the same letters as this extension, so don't get them confused. Similar letters don't necessarily mean that the formats are related, which, in turn, means that they don't necessarily open or convert with the same software.

Some examples include CSO, CGI, CSR, CSH, and CS (Visual C# Source Code) files. Another sneaky one is CSL, which is a color lookup file used by CineStyle Color Assist.