From skip at pobox.com Sun Jun 26 20:10:42 2005 From: skip at pobox.com (Skip Montanaro) Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 13:10:42 -0500 Subject: [Csv] Proposal: comment character for csv files... Message-ID: <17086.61346.38948.447658@montanaro.dyndns.org> Iain Haslam submitted a patch for the _csv module to implement comment characters for CSV files: http://python.org/sf/1225769 Basically, you could define a comment character, which, if it appeared in column 1, would cause the reader to skip that line. I'm mildly against the idea (first impression mostly), but the patch isn't very big. Would someone else please take a look at it and comment on the idea? Thanks, Skip From andrewm at object-craft.com.au Mon Jun 27 05:33:55 2005 From: andrewm at object-craft.com.au (Andrew McNamara) Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2005 13:33:55 +1000 Subject: [Csv] Proposal: comment character for csv files... In-Reply-To: <17086.61346.38948.447658@montanaro.dyndns.org> References: <17086.61346.38948.447658@montanaro.dyndns.org> Message-ID: <20050627033355.1929979408B@longblack.object-craft.com.au> >Iain Haslam submitted a patch for the _csv module to implement comment >characters for CSV files: > > http://python.org/sf/1225769 > >Basically, you could define a comment character, which, if it appeared in >column 1, would cause the reader to skip that line. > >I'm mildly against the idea (first impression mostly), but the patch isn't >very big. Would someone else please take a look at it and comment on the >idea? SF seems to be down, so I can't review the patch. I can't see any real downside to the proposal - it's a fairly simple change, and it will be used. Certainly it can be done other ways, but it strikes me that this is the best place for it. The changes to the C code are only part of the story - doco updates, test updates, etc, are all needed. The patch probably should also raise an exception if the comment character conflicts with one of the other special characters (it may already do this - I can't check at the moment). What happens if the the comment character appears in a multiline record? abc,"def #ghi",jkl lmn", -- Andrew McNamara, Senior Developer, Object Craft http://www.object-craft.com.au/ From pwatson at redlinepy.com Mon Jun 27 23:12:06 2005 From: pwatson at redlinepy.com (Paul Watson) Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2005 15:12:06 -0600 Subject: [Csv] Proposal: comment character for csv files... Message-ID: <20050627211207.11824.qmail@hostserver150.com> If this is done, please allow for a comment string rather than just a character. The developer can always specify a one character string. Also, the string can be specified encoded or Unicode. Kindest regards, Paul -------Original Message------- > From: csv-request at mail.mojam.com > Subject: Csv Digest, Vol 21, Issue 1 > Sent: 27 Jun 2005 12:00:03 > > Send Csv mailing list submissions to > csv at mail.mojam.com > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://orca.mojam.com/mailman/listinfo/csv > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > csv-request at mail.mojam.com > > You can reach the person managing the list at > csv-owner at mail.mojam.com > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Csv digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Proposal: comment character for csv files... (Skip Montanaro) > 2. Re: Proposal: comment character for csv files... > (Andrew McNamara) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 13:10:42 -0500 > From: Skip Montanaro > Subject: [Csv] Proposal: comment character for csv files... > To: csv at mojam.com > Message-ID: <17086.61346.38948.447658 at montanaro.dyndns.org> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > > Iain Haslam submitted a patch for the _csv module to implement comment > characters for CSV files: > > http://python.org/sf/1225769 > > Basically, you could define a comment character, which, if it appeared in > column 1, would cause the reader to skip that line. > > I'm mildly against the idea (first impression mostly), but the patch isn't > very big. Would someone else please take a look at it and comment on the > idea? > > Thanks, > > Skip > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2005 13:33:55 +1000 > From: Andrew McNamara > Subject: Re: [Csv] Proposal: comment character for csv files... > To: Skip Montanaro > Cc: csv at mojam.com > Message-ID: <20050627033355.1929979408B at longblack.object-craft.com.au> > > >Iain Haslam submitted a patch for the _csv module to implement comment > >characters for CSV files: > > > > http://python.org/sf/1225769 > > > >Basically, you could define a comment character, which, if it appeared in > >column 1, would cause the reader to skip that line. > > > >I'm mildly against the idea (first impression mostly), but the patch isn't > >very big. Would someone else please take a look at it and comment on the > >idea? > > SF seems to be down, so I can't review the patch. I can't see any real > downside to the proposal - it's a fairly simple change, and it will be > used. Certainly it can be done other ways, but it strikes me that this > is the best place for it. > > The changes to the C code are only part > of the story - doco updates, test updates, etc, are all needed. The > patch probably should also raise an exception if the comment character > conflicts with one of the other special characters (it may already do > this - I can't check at the moment). > > What happens if the the comment character appears in a multiline record? > > abc,"def > #ghi",jkl > lmn", > > -- > Andrew McNamara, Senior Developer, Object Craft > http://www.object-craft.com.au/ > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Csv mailing list > Csv at mail.mojam.com > http://orca.mojam.com/mailman/listinfo/csv > > > End of Csv Digest, Vol 21, Issue 1 > ********************************** -------Original Message-------