# FasterCSV problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [August 28, 2006, 10:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fastercsv-problem/66741 "2006-08-28T22:42:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![markh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@markh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/markh)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 10:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fastercsv-problem/66741/1 "2006-08-28T22:42:29Z")
Is there any way to make the faster CSV library parse this line? 20 6" Multibrand Pricer Insert 2 4 I know i can use the :col\_sep options to change the column separator to a tab, but it fails to parse this because of an unclosed quoted field. It seems like there should be an option to say that the fields are not quoted. Thanks, ---
**Author:** ![markh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@markh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/markh)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 11:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fastercsv-problem/66741/2 "2006-08-28T23:24:42Z")
On Tue, 29 Aug 2006, Mark Van H. wrote: > Is there any way to make the faster CSV library parse this line? > > 20 6" Multibrand Pricer Insert 2 4 > > I know i can use the :col\_sep options to change the column separator to a > tab, but it fails to parse this because of an unclosed quoted field. It > seems like there should be an option to say that the fields are not quoted. > > Thanks, it that’s indeed the case why not simply do it yourself? ``` harp:~ > cat a.rb require 'rubygems' require 'fastercsv' def munge line line.gsub!(%r/"+/){|q| q.size % 2 == 0 ? q : '"' + q} line.gsub!(%r/\ *\t\ */, '","') "%s%s%s" % ['"', line, '"'] end def show line puts line munged = munge line puts munged p(FCSV.parse(munged).first) puts end lines = <<-lines 20 6" Multibrand Pricer Insert 2 4 20 6"" Multibrand Pricer Insert 2 4 20 6""" Multibrand Pricer Insert 2 4 20 6"""" Multibrand Pricer Insert 2 4 lines lines.each{|line| show line.strip} harp:~ > ruby a.rb 20 6" Multibrand Pricer Insert 2 4 "20","6""","Multibrand","Pricer","Insert","2","4" ["20", "6\"", "Multibrand", "Pricer", "Insert", "2", "4"] 20 6"" Multibrand Pricer Insert 2 4 "20","6""","Multibrand","Pricer","Insert","2","4" ["20", "6\"", "Multibrand", "Pricer", "Insert", "2", "4"] 20 6""" Multibrand Pricer Insert 2 4 "20","6""""","Multibrand","Pricer","Insert","2","4" ["20", "6\"\"", "Multibrand", "Pricer", "Insert", "2", "4"] 20 6"""" Multibrand Pricer Insert 2 4 "20","6""""","Multibrand","Pricer","Insert","2","4" ["20", "6\"\"", "Multibrand", "Pricer", "Insert", "2", "4"] ``` if fastercsv handled **all** the ‘simple’ exectptions is would be slow and complicated to maintain. kind regards. -a ---
**Author:** ![markh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@markh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/markh)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 11:26pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fastercsv-problem/66741/3 "2006-08-28T23:26:42Z")
On Aug 28, 2006, at 3:40 PM, Mark Van H. wrote: > quoted. > Well, if quotes aren’t quoted it’s not CVS and all the parser you > really need is: line.split("\t") right? 😉 FasterCSV uses a very strict parser, so no it won’t allow this. Sorry. James Edward G. II ---
**Author:** ![markh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@markh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/markh)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 12:23am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fastercsv-problem/66741/4 "2006-08-29T00:23:03Z")
I did end up cleaning the row myself. I just wondered if I was missing the option somewhere. The only reason I ask is because Excel/OOCalc allow you to say whether or not fields are surrounded by "'s. It would be a nice option. mark ---
**Author:** ![markh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@markh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/markh)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 12:43am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fastercsv-problem/66741/5 "2006-08-29T00:43:06Z")
> FasterCSV is for parsing CSV. Without quoting, we are not talking > about CSV. Technically, yes. Can you please explain how `fields = line.split("\t")` fails you? This would work in my situation just fine. If there’s a real need for this, I’ll consider it. But right now I > would implement it as the above and I hope that’s not what your > asking for. 😉 If this is something you dont thinks should be in the CSV library, because is it not actually “official” csv, then that is fine. I look at that file as being “almost” CSV (with the exception of putting "'s around fields). The only reason I even ran into this is because mysql outputs bad csv mark ---
**Author:** ![markh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@markh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/markh)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 12:31am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fastercsv-problem/66741/6 "2006-08-29T00:31:04Z")
On Aug 28, 2006, at 5:22 PM, Mark Van H. wrote: > I did end up cleaning the row myself. I just wondered if I was > missing the > option somewhere. The only reason I ask is because Excel/OOCalc > allow you to > say whether or not fields are surrounded by "'s. It would be a nice > option. I guess I’m dense today… FasterCSV is for parsing CSV. Without quoting, we are not talking about CSV. Can you please explain how `fields = line.split("\t")` fails you? If there’s a real need for this, I’ll consider it. But right now I would implement it as the above and I hope that’s not what your asking for. 😉 James Edward G. II ---
**Author:** ![markh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@markh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/markh)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 12:59am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fastercsv-problem/66741/7 "2006-08-29T00:59:08Z")
On Aug 28, 2006, at 5:42 PM, Mark Van H. wrote: > If this is something you dont thinks should be in the CSV library, > because > is it not actually “official” csv, then that is fine. Well, it’s more that I don’t see what I can give you that split() doesn’t. Hard for me to improve on that, you know? 😉 > I look at that file as > being “almost” CSV (with the exception of putting "'s around fields). In proper CSV the 6" field would really be: “6"”" It’s pretty different. Without the quotes it’s illegal to use \t, \r, and \n in fields (I assume). There’s just really nothing there you need a parser for, in my opinion. James Edward G. II