From: Paul Brannan <paul@...>
Date: 2002-02-14T02:00:13+09:00
Subject: Re: (CSV) text file processing...

On Thu, Feb 14, 2002 at 01:34:37AM +0900, Bob wrote:
> I am looking for an example of (csv)text file processing. What I am
> specifically after is how to take a file with a CSV format and parse
> it out. This will be used with MySQL to help a customer upload a file
> for an inventory and then the Ruby script will parse it and place the
> values into the appropriate fields in the database.
> 
> Any such examples out there?

If you are doing very simple CSV processing, then you can use something
like:
  File.open("foo", "r") do |input|
    input.each_line do |line|
      fields = line.split(',')
      do_something(fields)
    end
  end

There's also a CSV library on the RAA at:
  http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/raa-list.rhtml?name=csv

It handles input like:
  foo,bar,1,2,"this is a comma (,) test",more text

There's a very short introduction to the library in the Ruby Developer's
Guide (which also has a few chapters devoted to databases in Ruby).

Paul