"CSV" or Comma Separate Value has evolved. If you actually use commas, then there is the problem of commas within quotes. The program and regex logic to deal with with this is actually quite complex.

An alternate to the comma that is used in many data base outputs is the "pipe" or | symbol. Although common in programming languages, this symbol is almost unknown in name, address, department name fields, etc. A database output that uses the "|" instead of the "," to separate fields is also known as a "CSV" file. Microsoft Excel can easily import CSV files separated by "|".

If I have a choice when generating the file, I use "|". When I have to read a file from some other source, very often but not always it uses "," and I have to deal with that.

So, if you generate the file, I would use "|" instead of "," because it makes the parsing easier - which is reason enough.

In reply to Re: Writing to csv file by Marshall
in thread Writing to csv file by maestromani

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