What's a semantically-correct way to parse CSV from SQL Server 2008?

Question

I got a CSV dump from SQL Server 2008 that has lines like this:

Plumbing,196222006P,REPLACE LEAD WATER SERVICE W/1\" COPPER,1996-08-09 00:00:00
Construction,1971         


        

Answer 1

If your CSV doesn't ever use a double quote as a legitimate quoting character, tweak the options to CSV to pass :quote_char => "\0" and then you can do this (wrapped strings for clarity)

1.9.3p327 > puts 'Construction,197133031B,"MORGAN SHOES" ALT,
                  1997-05-13 00:00:00'.parse_csv(:quote_char => "\0")
Construction
197133031B
"MORGAN SHOES" ALT
1997-05-13 00:00:00

1.9.3p327 > puts 'Plumbing,196222006P,REPLACE LEAD WATER SERVICE W/1" COPPER,
                  1996-08-09 00:00:00'.parse_csv(:quote_char => "\0")
Plumbing
196222006P
REPLACE LEAD WATER SERVICE W/1" COPPER
1996-08-09 00:00:00