Data Files: Difference between revisions

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===== Lines =====
===== Lines =====
* Lines are separated by the '''\r\n''' line delimiter for better compatibility between operating systems.
* 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, because...
* 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.
* The first line contains a header with column/field names.


===== Fields =====
===== Fields =====
* Field are separated by the '''tab''' field delimiter, because they rarely occur in texts and therefore require no escaping.
* 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 also be added after each line's last field, because...
* 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... if there is no value, wat do...
* The last field in a line must not be empty, because it will show to parsers that the previous rule was obeyed.
* Fields are not surrounded by a quoting character.
* Fields are never surrounded by a quoting character.
* White space between field delimiters are considered part of the field.
* 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 =====
===== Data =====
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</pre>
</pre>
An example file can be downloaded here [[File:Example.zip|thumb]] (sorry, it is zipped).
An example file can be downloaded here {{Download link|media=Example.zip}} (sorry, it is zipped).


== Parsing ==
== Parsing ==
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{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
| file extension || '''tsv''' || csv || '''dat''' || txt
| 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>
| [[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.
Note that tab characters and newlines cannot be present in field content.