Data Files - Revision history

E.vandenberge: /* Alternatives */

2017-02-20T15:36:45Z

Alternatives

A.datadien at 14:04, 20 February 2017

2017-02-20T14:04:38Z

A.datadien at 14:01, 20 February 2017

2017-02-20T14:01:20Z

A.datadien at 14:00, 20 February 2017

2017-02-20T14:00:42Z

A.datadien: changed word extension -> encoding

2017-02-20T13:40:59Z

changed word extension -> encoding

Wilbert.vanham at 13:02, 20 February 2017

2017-02-20T13:02:47Z

Wilbert.vanham: /* Fields */

2017-02-20T13:01:10Z

Fields

Wilbert.vanham at 12:57, 20 February 2017

2017-02-20T12:57:13Z

A.datadien at 11:23, 20 February 2017

2017-02-20T11:23:21Z

A.datadien at 11:00, 20 February 2017

2017-02-20T11:00:37Z

@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
 {| class="wikitable"
 |-
-| file extension || '''tsv''' || csv || '''dat''' || txt
+| File Extension || '''tsv''', csv, '''dat''', txt
 |-
-| file encoding|| '''ascii''' || '''UTF-8''' || UTF-16BE || UTF-16LE || UCS-4/UTF-32
+| File Encoding || '''ASCII''', '''UTF-8''', UTF-16BE, UTF-16LE, UCS-4/UTF-32
 |-
-| magic number || '''None''' || <BOM>
+| [[wikipedia:Magic_number_(programming)|Magic Number]] || '''None''', [[wikipedia:Byte_order_mark|BOM]]
 |-
-| line delimiter || \n || \r || '''\r\n'''
+| Line Delimiter || \n, \r, '''\r\n'''
 |-
-| line delimiter after last line || no || '''yes'''
+| Line Delimiter after Last Line || '''Yes''', No
 |-
-| field delimiter || '''<tab>''' || , || ;
+| Field Delimiter || '''<tab>''', <comma> , <semicolon>
 |-
-| field delimiter after last field || '''no''' || yes
+| Field Delimiter after Last Field || Yes, '''No'''
 |-
-| quoting character || '''None''' || " || '
+| Quoting Character || '''None''', ', "
 |-
-| escape qc by doubling || no || yes
+| Escape QC by doubling || Yes, No
 |-
-| escape character || '''none''' || \
+| Escape Character || '''None''', \
 |-
-| first line || '''contains header''' || contains data
+| First Line Contains: || '''Header''', Data
 |-
-| last field in line || '''must not be empty''' || may be empty
+| Empty Last Field in Line || Allowed, '''Not Allowed'''
 |-
-| whitespace following delimiter || '''part of field''' || not part of field
+| Whitespace Following Delimiter || '''Part of Field''', Excluded
 |-
-| decimal separator || '''.''' || ,
+| Decimal Separator || '''<dot>''', <comma>
 |-
-| thousands separator || '''none''' || . || ␣ || U+2009
+| Thousands Separator || '''None''', <dot>, <space>, U+2009
 |}
 Note that tab characters and newlines cannot be present in field content.

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 ===== Fields =====
-* Fields are separated by the '''tab''' field delimiter, because they rarely occur in texts and therefore escape characters are often not needed.
+* Fields are separated by the '''tab''' field delimiter, because they rarely occur in texts. This allows for the use of comma's and semicolons in sentences without using an escape character.
 * The field delimiter should '''not''' be added after each line's last field. This allows for the use of a split() function for parsing a line.
 * The last field in a line must not be empty, because it will show to parsers that the previous rule was obeyed.

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 ===== Fields =====
-* Field are separated by the '''tab''' field delimiter, because they rarely occur in texts and therefore escape characters are often not needed.
+* Fields are separated by the '''tab''' field delimiter, because they rarely occur in texts and therefore escape characters are often not needed.
 * The field delimiter should '''not''' be added after each line's last field. This allows for the use of a split() function for parsing a line.
 * The last field in a line must not be empty, because it will show to parsers that the previous rule was obeyed.

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 ===== Fields =====
-* Field are separated by the '''tab''' field delimiter, because they rarely occur in texts and therefore require no escaping.
+* Field are separated by the '''tab''' field delimiter, because they rarely occur in texts and therefore escape characters are often not needed.
 * The field delimiter should '''not''' be added after each line's last field. This allows for the use of a split() function for parsing a line.
 * The last field in a line must not be empty, because it will show to parsers that the previous rule was obeyed.
 * Fields are never surrounded by a quoting character.
 * White space before or after field delimiters are considered part of a field.
-* There is no defined escape character. If your data can contain tabs, use a different field delimiter or file format.
+* There is no defined escape character. If your data can contain tabs or newlines, use a different field delimiter or file format.
 ===== Data =====

@@ Line 73: / Line 73: @@
 | file extension || '''tsv''' || csv || '''dat''' || txt
 |-
-| file extension || '''ascii''' || '''UTF-8''' || UTF-16BE || UTF-16LE || UCS-4/UTF-32
+| file encoding|| '''ascii''' || '''UTF-8''' || UTF-16BE || UTF-16LE || UCS-4/UTF-32
 |-
 | magic number || '''None''' || <BOM>

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ===== Lines =====
 * Lines are separated by the '''\r\n''' line delimiter for better compatibility between operating systems.
-* The line delimiter should also be added after the last line. This simplifies stream reading since all records (lines) are terminated.
+* The line delimiter should also be added after the last line. This simplifies stream reading since all records (lines) are terminated. This allows for the use of a readline() function for acquiring a line.
 * The first line contains a header with column/field names.

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 ===== File =====
 * File encoding is ASCII or UTF-8.
-* The file contains no byte order mark (BOM) or other magic number.
+* The file contains no byte order mark (BOM) or other magic number. This makes it ASCII compatible.
 ===== Lines =====

@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 == Example ==
-This is what the file format looks like:
+An example of what a file in this format may look like:
 <pre>
 User ID&#9;Hair color&#9;Response time&#9;