tab-delimited to csv

[John Almberg]

On Feb 16, 2009, at 1:25 PM, Adam Vande More wrote:

> John Almberg wrote:
>>
>> On Feb 16, 2009, at 12:55 PM, Roland Smith wrote:
>>
>>> On Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 11:55:50AM -0500, John Almberg wrote:
>>>> Can anyone suggest a way to convert a tab-delimited file to csv  
>>>> using
>>>> standard unix utilities? I could whip up a Ruby script to do it,  
>>>> but
>>>
>>> As long as the files don't contain commas themselves,
>>
>> Right, that's the tricky bit. I could use tr otherwise.
>>
>>>
>>>> I hate to reinvent the wheel.
>>>
>>> I'd whip up that script. There is a shareware tab2csv utility for
>>> windows for $49.95: http://www.download32.com/info-pack-com- 
>>> tab2csv-i31827.html
>>
>> I'm working on it, right now.
>>
>> I also saw that windows utility, but doesn't help me much.
>>
>>>
>>> OTOH, if you have a spreadsheet program like Gnumeric or OpenOffice
>>> installed, you might be able to script those to import from tab- 
>>> delimited
>>> and export to CSV. Admittedly that is like using a nuke to kill a  
>>> fly.
>>
>> Actually, the problem arises because I have a client who is  
>> exporting a 'database' file from Excel 2000 (don't ask), to .csv,  
>> and Excel is so stupid that it is not putting quotes around a  
>> field that contains commas. Duh.
>>
>> Excel seems to export to tab-delimited format without making any  
>> fatal errors, but I need a real .csv file for import.
>>
>> Thus my need to convert from tab to (real) csv.
>>
>> -- John
>>
> There is this:
>
> http://www.sat.dundee.ac.uk/arb/psion/
>
> Have no idea if it complies or works as you want.
>
> But if you're dealing with just one so called "database" from Excel  
> I would go with either checking the settings on the Excel export(in  
> OO.org you can specify w/ or w/out quotes) as they may have missed  
> the option.

That was my first hope, but there doesn't seem to be a quote option  
in Excel 2000, hard as that is to believe... Unfortunately, they are  
a remote client, so I can't look at the 'Save As' options myself, but  
I spent a long time on the phone with them, trying to get them to  
look for such an 'advanced' option. No luck. It's either not there,  
or they are blind.

> Or simply get the original file, open it in OO.org and do it from  
> there as was basically suggested earlier.

That would be easy, but they upload this file frequently, and I need  
an automated solution.
>
>
> I would have thought something like would exist as it's certainly  
> useful like dos2unix

Me too. Weird.

I've got a prototype working, but now I've discovered that even the  
tab delimited file is malformed... the Ruby CSV Library chokes on one  
of the data lines. Illegal use of quotes. Bummer...

-- John