ooopy: newbie cannot get basic functionality to work

[Paul Watson]

Andrew Sackville-West wrote:
> Hi list, 
> 
> I am new to python and old to coding (as in I did it a long time
> ago). I've got a task that cries out for a scripted solution --
> importing chunks of ASCII data dumps from a point-of-sale system into
> an openoffice.org spreadsheet. What a great chance for me to get my
> coding skills back and learn python too!

The openoffice.org spreadsheet tool can read a CSV file. How about 
producing that first, just so you have something that works.  I agree, 
this sounds like a nice way to dive into Python, but you might want 
something that works first, even if it is not elegant.