pyparsing question

[John Machin]

On Jan 2, 10:32 am, hubritic <colinland... at gmail.com> wrote:

> The data I have has a fixed number of characters per field, so I could
> split it up that way, but wouldn't that defeat the purpose of using a
> parser?

The purpose of a parser is to parse. Data in fixed columns does not
need parsing.

>  I am determined to become proficient with pyparsing so I am
> using it even when it could be considered overkill; thus, it has gone
> past mere utility now, this is a matter of principle!

An extremely misguided "principle".  Would you use an AK47 on the
flies around your barbecue? A better principle is to choose the best
tool for the job.