How to save a hash into a CSV

Question

I am new in ruby so please forgive the noobishness.

I have a CSV with two columns. One for animal name and one for animal type. I have a hash with all the keys being

Answer 1

If you want column headers and you have multiple hashes:

require 'csv'
hashes = [{'a' => 'aaaa', 'b' => 'bbbb'}]
column_names = hashes.first.keys
s=CSV.generate do |csv|
  csv << column_names
  hashes.each do |x|
    csv << x.values
  end
end
File.write('the_file.csv', s)

(tested on Ruby 1.9.3-p429)

Answer 2

I tried the solutions here but got an incorrect result (values in wrong columns) since my source is a LDIF file that not always has all the values for a key. I ended up using the following.

First, when building up the hash I remember the keys in a separate array which I extend with the keys that are not allready there.

# building up the array of hashes
File.read(ARGV[0]).each_line do |lijn|
    case
    when lijn[0..2] == "dn:" # new record
        record = {}
    when lijn.chomp == '' # end record
        if record['telephonenumber'] # valid record ?
            hashes << record
            keys = keys.concat(record.keys).uniq
        end
    when ...
    end
end

The important line here is keys = keys.concat(record.keys).uniq which extends the array of keys when new keys (headers) are found.

Now the most important: converting our hashes to a CSV

CSV.open("export.csv", "w", {headers: keys, col_sep: ";"}) do |row|
  row << keys # add the headers
  hashes.each do |hash|
    row << hash # the whole hash, not just the array of values
  end
end

Answer 3

Try this:

require 'csv'
data = { 'one' => '1', 'two' => '2', 'three' => '3' }

CSV.open("data.csv", "a+") do |csv|
        csv << data.keys
        csv << data.values
end

Answer 4

CSV can take a hash in any order, exclude elements, and omit a params not in the HEADERS

require "csv"
HEADERS = [
  'dog',
  'cat',
  'donkey'
]

def write_file

  CSV.open("data.csv", "wb", :headers => HEADERS, :write_headers => true) do |csv|
    csv << { 'dog' => 'canine', 'cat' => 'feline', 'donkey' => 'asinine' }
    csv << { 'dog' => 'canine'}
    csv << { 'cat' => 'feline', 'dog' => 'canine', 'donkey' => 'asinine' }
    csv << { 'dog' => 'canine', 'cat' => 'feline', 'donkey' => 'asinine', 'header not provided in the options to #open' => 'not included in output' }
  end
end

write_file # => 
# dog,cat,donkey
# canine,feline,asinine
# canine,,
# canine,feline,asinine
# canine,feline,asinine

This makes working with the CSV class more flexible and readable.

Answer 5

I think the simplest solution to your original question:

def write_file
  h = { 'dog' => 'canine', 'cat' => 'feline', 'donkey' => 'asinine' }

  CSV.open("data.csv", "w", headers: h.keys) do |csv|
    csv << h.values
  end
end

With multiple hashes that all share the same keys:

def write_file
  hashes = [ { 'dog' => 'canine', 'cat' => 'feline', 'donkey' => 'asinine' },
             { 'dog' => 'rover', 'cat' => 'kitty', 'donkey' => 'ass' } ]

  CSV.open("data.csv", "w", headers: hashes.first.keys) do |csv|
    hashes.each do |h|
      csv << h.values
    end
  end
end

Answer 6

Lets we have a hash,

hash_1 = {1=>{:rev=>400, :d_odr=>3}, 2=>{:rev=>4003, :d_price=>300}}

The above hash_1 having keys as some id 1,2,.. and values to those are again hash with some keys as (:rev, :d_odr, :d_price). Suppose we want a CSV file with headers,

headers = ['Designer_id','Revenue','Discount_price','Impression','Designer ODR']

Then make a new array for each value of hash_1 and insert it in CSV file,

CSV.open("design_performance_data_temp.csv", "w") do |csv|
 csv << headers
 csv_data = []
 result.each do |design_data|
  csv_data << design_data.first
  csv_data << design_data.second[:rev] || 0
  csv_data << design_data.second[:d_price] || 0
  csv_data << design_data.second[:imp] || 0
  csv_data << design_data.second[:d_odr] || 0
  csv << csv_data
  csv_data = []
 end
end

Now you are having design_performance_data_temp.csv file saved in your corresponding directory. Above code can further be optimized.