How to import multiple csv files in a single load?

Use wildcard, e.g. replace 2008 with *:

df = sqlContext.read
       .format("com.databricks.spark.csv")
       .option("header", "true")
       .load("../Downloads/*.csv") // <-- note the star (*)

Spark 2.0

// these lines are equivalent in Spark 2.0
spark.read.format("csv").option("header", "true").load("../Downloads/*.csv")
spark.read.option("header", "true").csv("../Downloads/*.csv")

Notes:

1. Replace format("com.databricks.spark.csv") by using format("csv") or csv method instead. com.databricks.spark.csv format has been integrated to 2.0.

2. Use spark not sqlContext

Ex1:

Reading a single CSV file. Provide complete file path:

 val df = spark.read.option("header", "true").csv("C:spark\\sample_data\\tmp\\cars1.csv")

Ex2:

Reading multiple CSV files passing names:

val df=spark.read.option("header","true").csv("C:spark\\sample_data\\tmp\\cars1.csv", "C:spark\\sample_data\\tmp\\cars2.csv")

Ex3:

Reading multiple CSV files passing list of names:

val paths = List("C:spark\\sample_data\\tmp\\cars1.csv", "C:spark\\sample_data\\tmp\\cars2.csv")
val df = spark.read.option("header", "true").csv(paths: _*)

Ex4:

Reading multiple CSV files in a folder ignoring other files:

val df = spark.read.option("header", "true").csv("C:spark\\sample_data\\tmp\\*.csv")

Ex5:

Reading multiple CSV files from multiple folders:

val folders = List("C:spark\\sample_data\\tmp", "C:spark\\sample_data\\tmp1")
val df = spark.read.option("header", "true").csv(folders: _*)