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Given your example looks very much like python you could use the CSV module which is built into the standard library and handles all of this for you in a standa

by tech2 4y ago

Given your example looks very much like python you could use the CSV module which is built into the standard library and handles all of this for you in a standards compliant manner. You really do want to use a library to parse CSV since there are a number of corner cases. For example, your example code may not read a whole row since rows can have newlines in them.

mbreese 4y ago
> You really do want to use a library to parse CSV Right… you absolutely need to use a library. I’ve written the parsers for CSV which handle the edge cases (at least RFC edge cases). But I don’t want to include a library to be able to do it. Most of my scripts are small, and adding libraries makes them more difficult to move around. So, I shy away from CSV as a format as a result. I’m okay with not allowing new lines and tabs in my fields. It’s a valid trade off for my data. Yes, many of my scripts are Python, but not all, so adding new libraries for different languages is more difficult for me to remember as opposed to just splitting a line by a record separator. Also, many of my files require having comments in the file’s header. Another reason why CSV can’t be easily used, as this isn’t part of the RFC.
- tech2 4y ago
  I appreciate, as described, some of your needs may differ from the standard format (I'd probably still use them to make interoperability between other l languages/people/systems easier though and have my comments etc. in documentation). However, with all that in mind I may not have communicated well enough about CSV as a built in. > Most of my scripts are small, and adding libraries makes them more difficult to move around. So, I shy away from CSV as a format as a result. The CSV library I speak of is part[0] of the python standard library. Unless you're working with a restricted subset of the language or something it should have no impact on the size of your script or its portability between platforms/locations. [0] https://docs.python.org/3/library/csv.html https://docs.python.org/3/library/csv.html

by tech2 4y ago

mbreese 4y ago

> You really do want to use a library to parse CSV Right… you absolutely need to use a library. I’ve written the parsers for CSV which handle the edge cases (at least RFC edge cases). But I don’t want to include a library to be able to do it. Most of my scripts are small, and adding libraries makes them more difficult to move around. So, I shy away from CSV as a format as a result. I’m okay with not allowing new lines and tabs in my fields. It’s a valid trade off for my data. Yes, many of my scripts are Python, but not all, so adding new libraries for different languages is more difficult for me to remember as opposed to just splitting a line by a record separator. Also, many of my files require having comments in the file’s header. Another reason why CSV can’t be easily used, as this isn’t part of the RFC.

tech2 4y ago
I appreciate, as described, some of your needs may differ from the standard format (I'd probably still use them to make interoperability between other l languages/people/systems easier though and have my comments etc. in documentation). However, with all that in mind I may not have communicated well enough about CSV as a built in. > Most of my scripts are small, and adding libraries makes them more difficult to move around. So, I shy away from CSV as a format as a result. The CSV library I speak of is part[0] of the python standard library. Unless you're working with a restricted subset of the language or something it should have no impact on the size of your script or its portability between platforms/locations. [0] https://docs.python.org/3/library/csv.html https://docs.python.org/3/library/csv.html