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

[Alan G I. <ai...@am...>]

On 10/17/2011 8:46 PM, Paul Tremblay wrote:
> please explain how major software, such as Python, OO, and
> Excel are wrong.


They did not get it wrong.

Spreadsheets generally use a correct default.

They allow users to do the wrong thing,
because they are not in the business of
standards enforcement. They are in the
business of user convenience.  Thus the
features for handling CSV files were
repurposed for handling DSV files.

Since users do the wrong thing all the time,
it is convenient to provide flexibility in
data reading.  Especially in much of the
business world, where expecting people
to care about scientific standards is to
dream the impossible dream.

So, you are just noting some convenience features
and repurposed functionality.  This has nothing
to do with correct usage, which only involves knowing
what the C in CSV stands for.

Alan