split CSV fields

[robert]

What is a most simple expression for splitting a CSV line with "-protected fields?

s='"123","a,b,\"c\"",5.640'

 

[irfan.habib]

s.split(',');

 

[Fredrik Lundh]

What is a most simple expression for splitting a CSV line
> with "-protected fields?

s='"123","a,b,\"c\"",5.640'

import csv

the preferred way is to read the file using that module. if you insist
on processing a single line, you can do

cols = list(csv.reader([string]))

</F>

 

[Diez B. Roggisch]

What is a most simple expression for splitting a CSV line with "-protected
fields?

s='"123","a,b,\"c\"",5.640'

Use the csv-module. It should have a dialect for this, albeit I'm not 100%
sure if the escaping of the " is done properly from csv POV. Might be that
it requires excel-standard.

Diez

 

[Peter Otten]

What is a most simple expression for splitting a CSV line with "-protected
fields?

s='"123","a,b,\"c\"",5.640'

.... escapechar = "\\"
....

csv.reader(['"123","a,b,\\"c\\"",5.640'], dialect=mydialect).next()

['123', 'a,b,"c"', '5.640']

Peter

 

[John Machin]

What is a most simple expression for splitting a CSV line
with "-protected fields?

s='"123","a,b,\"c\"",5.640'

import csv

the preferred way is to read the file using that module. if you insist
on processing a single line, you can do

cols = list(csv.reader([string]))

</F>

Python 2.5 (r25:51908, Sep 19 2006, 09:52:17) [MSC v.1310 32 bit
(Intel)] on win32
| >>> import csv
| >>> s='"123","a,b,\"c\"",5.640'
| >>> cols = list(csv.reader())
| >>> cols
[['123', 'a,b,c""', '5.640']]
# maybe we need a bit more:
| >>> cols = list(csv.reader())[0]
| >>> cols
['123', 'a,b,c""', '5.640']

I'd guess that the OP is expecting 'a,b,"c"' for the second field.

Twiddling with the knobs doesn't appear to help:

| >>> list(csv.reader(, escapechar='\\'))[0]
['123', 'a,b,c""', '5.640']
| >>> list(csv.reader(, escapechar='\\', doublequote=False))[0]
['123', 'a,b,c""', '5.640']

Looks like a bug to me; AFAICT from the docs, the last attempt should
have worked.

Cheers,
John

 

[John Machin]

What is a most simple expression for splitting a CSV line
with "-protected fields?

s='"123","a,b,\"c\"",5.640'

import csv

the preferred way is to read the file using that module. if you insist
on processing a single line, you can do

cols = list(csv.reader([string]))

</F>

Python 2.5 (r25:51908, Sep 19 2006, 09:52:17) [MSC v.1310 32 bit
(Intel)] on win32
| >>> import csv
| >>> s='"123","a,b,\"c\"",5.640'
| >>> cols = list(csv.reader())
| >>> cols
[['123', 'a,b,c""', '5.640']]
# maybe we need a bit more:
| >>> cols = list(csv.reader())[0]
| >>> cols
['123', 'a,b,c""', '5.640']

I'd guess that the OP is expecting 'a,b,"c"' for the second field.

Twiddling with the knobs doesn't appear to help:

| >>> list(csv.reader(, escapechar='\\'))[0]
['123', 'a,b,c""', '5.640']
| >>> list(csv.reader(, escapechar='\\', doublequote=False))[0]
['123', 'a,b,c""', '5.640']

Looks like a bug to me; AFAICT from the docs, the last attempt should
have worked.

Given Peter Otten's post, looks like
(1) there's a bug in the "fmtparam" mechanism -- it's ignoring the
escapechar in my first twiddle, which should give the same result as
Peter's.
(2)
| >>> csv.excel.doublequote
True
According to my reading of the docs:
"""
doublequote
Controls how instances of quotechar appearing inside a field should be
themselves be quoted. When True, the character is doubled. When False,
the escapechar is used as a prefix to the quotechar. It defaults to
True.
"""
Peter's example should not have worked.

 

[Fredrik Lundh]

Given Peter Otten's post, looks like
(1) there's a bug in the "fmtparam" mechanism -- it's ignoring the
escapechar in my first twiddle, which should give the same result as
Peter's.
(2)
| >>> csv.excel.doublequote
True
According to my reading of the docs:
"""
doublequote
Controls how instances of quotechar appearing inside a field should be
themselves be quoted. When True, the character is doubled. When False,
the escapechar is used as a prefix to the quotechar. It defaults to
True.
"""
Peter's example should not have worked.

the documentation also mentions a "quoting" parameter that "controls
when quotes should be generated by the writer and recognised by the
reader.". not sure how that changes things.

anyway, it's either unclear documentation or a bug in the code. better
submit a bug report so someone can fix one of them.

</F>

 

[John Machin]

robert wrote:

What is a most simple expression for splitting a CSV line
with "-protected fields?

s='"123","a,b,\"c\"",5.640'

import csv

the preferred way is to read the file using that module. if you insist
on processing a single line, you can do

cols = list(csv.reader([string]))

</F>

Python 2.5 (r25:51908, Sep 19 2006, 09:52:17) [MSC v.1310 32 bit
(Intel)] on win32
| >>> import csv
| >>> s='"123","a,b,\"c\"",5.640'
| >>> cols = list(csv.reader())
| >>> cols
[['123', 'a,b,c""', '5.640']]
# maybe we need a bit more:
| >>> cols = list(csv.reader())[0]
| >>> cols
['123', 'a,b,c""', '5.640']

I'd guess that the OP is expecting 'a,b,"c"' for the second field.

Twiddling with the knobs doesn't appear to help:

| >>> list(csv.reader(, escapechar='\\'))[0]
['123', 'a,b,c""', '5.640']
| >>> list(csv.reader(, escapechar='\\', doublequote=False))[0]
['123', 'a,b,c""', '5.640']

Looks like a bug to me; AFAICT from the docs, the last attempt should
have worked.

Given Peter Otten's post, looks like
(1) there's a bug in the "fmtparam" mechanism -- it's ignoring the
escapechar in my first twiddle, which should give the same result as
Peter's.
(2)
| >>> csv.excel.doublequote
True
According to my reading of the docs:
"""
doublequote
Controls how instances of quotechar appearing inside a field should be
themselves be quoted. When True, the character is doubled. When False,
the escapechar is used as a prefix to the quotechar. It defaults to
True.
"""
Peter's example should not have worked.

Doh. The OP's string was a raw string. I need some sleep.
Scrap bug #1!

| >>> s=r'"123","a,b,\"c\"",5.640'
| >>> list(csv.reader())[0]
['123', 'a,b,\\c\\""', '5.640']
# What's that???
| >>> list(csv.reader(, escapechar='\\'))[0]
['123', 'a,b,"c"', '5.640']
| >>> list(csv.reader(, escapechar='\\', doublequote=False))[0]
['123', 'a,b,"c"', '5.640']

And there's still the problem with doublequote ....

Goodnight ...

 

[Peter Otten]

| >>> s='"123","a,b,\"c\"",5.640'

Note how I fixed the input:

'"123","a,b,"c"",5.640'

'"123","a,b,\\"c\\"",5.640'

Peter

 

[John Machin]

the documentation also mentions a "quoting" parameter that "controls
when quotes should be generated by the writer and recognised by the
reader.". not sure how that changes things.

Hi Fredrik, I read that carefully -- "quoting" appears to have no
effect in this situation.

anyway, it's either unclear documentation or a bug in the code. better
submit a bug report so someone can fix one of them.

Tomorrow
Cheers,
John