CSV files are good, but sometimes they contain blank data and spaces that mess up importing them. I used to work as a federal contractor importing text files in

CSV files are good, but sometimes they contain blank data and spaces that mess up importing them. I used to work as a federal contractor importing text files into databases by downloading them via FTP or Web Sites on a federal Intranet. I would import them into Oracle, SQL Server, MS-Access, Clipper, etc and sometimes had to write a custom program to import the files. I would work in a Unix environment as well and had to run AWK and SED to remove blank spaces and other problems that would cause invalid use of null errors in a database that the column couldn't be null. Sometimes the CSV file didn't follow the database validation rules, like using text in a number field, etc. We also had fixed width files. Stuff from an IBM Mainframe that was in EPISODIC that had to be converted to ASCII. Then when it converted some of the characters in the file had to be edited because they were illegal control characters that had something to do with DASD JCL/JECL control codes. But a CSV file is basically one database table with a bunch of columns in it that you import, separate the data with commas.