diff --git a/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/csv.hpp b/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/csv.hpp
index 50ecf1cdc..b0da3cca6 100644
--- a/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/csv.hpp
+++ b/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/csv.hpp
@@ -151,6 +151,12 @@ public:
            and not curr_->empty();
     }
 
+    bool isParseFail()
+    {
+        return curr_ == end()
+           and not isValid();
+    }
+
     void fail()
     {
         if (curr_ == end())
diff --git a/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/data.hpp b/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/data.hpp
index 426d07e95..d6264ccb5 100644
--- a/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/data.hpp
+++ b/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/data.hpp
@@ -54,8 +54,10 @@
 
 //#include <string>
 //#include <memory>
+#include <type_traits>
 #include <utility>
 #include <vector>
+#include <limits>
 #include <tuple>
 
 
@@ -92,6 +94,8 @@ struct Column : util::NonCopyable
     string header;
     vector<VAL> data;
 
+    using ValueType = VAL;
+
 
     Column(string headerID)
         : header{headerID}
@@ -126,6 +130,8 @@ class DataFile
 {
 
 public:
+    static constexpr size_t columnCnt = std::tuple_size_v<decltype(std::declval<TAB>().allColumns())>;
+
     DataFile()
     {
         newRow();
@@ -149,6 +155,61 @@ public:
                 });
     }
 
+    void appendRowFromCSV(string line)
+    {
+        newRow();
+        CsvLine csv(line);
+        forEach(TAB::allColumns(),
+                [&](auto& col)
+                {
+                    if (!csv)
+                        if (csv.isParseFail())
+                            csv.fail();
+                        else
+                            throw error::Invalid("Insufficient data; only "
+                                                +formatVal(csv.getParsedFieldCnt())
+                                                +" fields. Line="+line);
+
+                    using Value = typename std::remove_reference<decltype(col)>::type::ValueType;
+                    col.get() = parseAs<Value>(*csv);
+                    ++csv;
+                });
+    }
+
+    string formatCSVRow(size_t rownum)
+    {
+        if (this->empty())
+            throw error::LogicBroken("Attempt to access data from empty DataTable.");
+        if (rownum >= this->size())
+            throw error::LogicBroken("Attempt to access row #"+str(rownum)
+                                    +" beyond range [0.."+str(size()-1)+"].");
+
+        string csvLine;
+        forEach(TAB::allColumns(),
+                [&](auto& col)
+                {
+                    appendCsvField(csvLine, col.data.at(rownum));
+                });
+        return csvLine;
+    }
+
+    size_t size()  const
+    {
+        if (0 == columnCnt) return 0;
+        size_t rowCnt = std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max();
+        forEach(unConst(this)->allColumns(),
+                [&](auto& col)
+                {
+                    rowCnt = std::min(rowCnt, col.data.size());
+                });
+        return rowCnt;
+    }
+
+    bool empty()  const
+    {
+        return 0 == this->size();
+    }
+
     template<size_t i>
     decltype(auto) getCol()
     {
diff --git a/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/format.hpp b/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/format.hpp
index 5ecfe20d9..44915ff5e 100644
--- a/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/format.hpp
+++ b/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/format.hpp
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@
 #define TESTRUNNER_UTIL_FORMAT_HPP_
 
 
-//#include <algorithm>
+#include "util/utils.hpp"
+
 #include <string>
 #include <sstream>
 
@@ -77,5 +78,23 @@ inline string formatVal(float f)
    return oss.str();
 }
 
+
+/** parse string representation into typed value */
+template<typename TAR>
+inline TAR parseAs(string const& encodedVal)
+{
+    std::istringstream converter{encodedVal};
+    TAR value;
+    converter >> value;
+    return value;
+}
+
+inline bool parseAs(string const& encodedBool)
+{
+    return util::boolVal(encodedBool);
+}
+
+
+
 }//namespace util
 #endif /*TESTRUNNER_UTIL_FORMAT_HPP_*/
diff --git a/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/regex.hpp b/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/regex.hpp
index f12ce28d9..1aae85bc0 100644
--- a/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/regex.hpp
+++ b/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/regex.hpp
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@
 
 
 
-#ifndef TESTRUNNER_UTIL_PARSE_HPP_
-#define TESTRUNNER_UTIL_PARSE_HPP_
+#ifndef TESTRUNNER_UTIL_REGEX_HPP_
+#define TESTRUNNER_UTIL_REGEX_HPP_
 
 
 #include <regex>
@@ -54,4 +54,4 @@ struct MatchSeq
 
 
 }//(End)namespace util
-#endif /*TESTRUNNER_UTIL_PARSE_HPP_*/
+#endif /*TESTRUNNER_UTIL_REGEX_HPP_*/
diff --git a/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/utils.hpp b/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/utils.hpp
index 5b0d44fed..3952e06fe 100644
--- a/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/utils.hpp
+++ b/yoshimi-testrunner/src/util/utils.hpp
@@ -191,6 +191,24 @@ backwards (ITA&& iterable)
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * Shortcut for casting away `const`.
+ * @warning Use with care. Can be very handy to simplify defining
+ *          const and non-const variants of member functions though.
+ */
+template<class OBJ>
+inline OBJ* unConst (const OBJ* o)
+{
+return const_cast<OBJ*> (o);
+}
+
+template<class OBJ>
+inline OBJ& unConst (OBJ const& ro)
+{
+return const_cast<OBJ&> (ro);
+}
+
+
 /** @return content without leading or trailing whitespace */
 string trimmed(string);