'''
    DS2500
    Spring 2025

    utils.py -- functions that we use over and over again
'''

import csv

def read_csv(filename, skip = 1):
    '''
        params: filename (req) string, and skip (opt) for # lines to skip
        returns: 2d list of strings
        does: reads in the CSV file using the csv library,
              skips the given number of lines/header, returns a 2d list
    '''
    data = []
    with open(filename, "r") as infile:
        csvfile = csv.reader(infile)
        for _ in range(skip):
            next(csvfile)
        for row in csvfile:
            data.append(row)
    return data