Also, I take issue (though not on a personal level) with saying that something has to be done in a certain way.

I totally agree with that. Unreservedly.

As for the delimited record format. Maybe I read to much into the post, but I thought that it implied of not stated, that whilst the data was essentially delimited, one or more parts of it had variable numbres of repetitions, and the delimiters were not consistant through out.

Anyway, my tilting at this particular windmill was more a reaction to the general statement about line-noise, rather than aimed at your post specifically:) Just a convenient hook upon which to hang my own bias. Sorry.

I think I'm having a bad day today. Perhaps I should go out and take a walk in the sunshine.