Re: [Docutils-users] OT: DSV vs CSV

[Paul T. <pau...@gm...>]

On 10/17/11 6:51 PM, Alan G Isaac wrote:
> On 10/17/2011 6:22 PM, Paul Tremblay wrote:
>> I am still correct in my
>> definition of CSV, as it is understood by OpenOffice, python, and MS.
>
> Not really.
> Export a file as CSV from say Excel.
> You don't get a request for a delimiter specification.
> You get a comma (unless you mucked with the regional settings).
>
> I do not deny that some people use the term CSV to mean DSV,
> as you do, but the more careful they become (e.g., if they propose
> a standard), the less likely that becomes.
>
> The real background point is that it is desirable for CSV
> to mean CSV, and not DSV, because it removes an important ambiguity
> (for both parsing and writing).
>
> A
I don't have excel here, but at work you certainly can easily change the 
setting when you save the file, unless my memory serves me wrong. 
However, I just opened OO and was given the option. Certainly, MS will 
open many different types of CSV files.

You really need to think about this. If you think different delimiters 
would break the system, then why does Python not only allow this, but 
has as its first example a file separated by spaces? As I've said 
before, I've actually written code in XSLT to munge CSV; the delimiter 
does not matter.

If you think otherwise, can you please provide a concrete example so 
this discussion can move forward?

Paul