(SQL Server) CSV Special Chars - Comma, Double-Quotes

The Chilkat CSV class/component automatically handles special characters which include double-quotes, and the delimiter character (comma or semicolon).

The Chilkat CSV library/component/class is freeware. The downloads for .NET, C++, Perl, Java, Ruby, and Python contain all of the Chilkat classes, some of which are freeware and some of which require licensing.

Chilkat ActiveX Downloads ActiveX for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows

-- Important: See this note about string length limitations for strings returned by sp_OAMethod calls.
--
CREATE PROCEDURE ChilkatSample
AS
BEGIN
    DECLARE @hr int
    -- Important: Do not use nvarchar(max).  See the warning about using nvarchar(max).
    DECLARE @sTmp0 nvarchar(4000)
    -- This example program loads a file (sample.csv)
    -- that contains this content:
    -- 
    -- year,color,country,food
    -- 2001,red,France,cheese
    -- 2005,blue,"United States",hamburger
    -- 2008,green,Italy,pasta
    -- 1998,orange,Japan,sushi
    -- 
    -- The first row contains the column names.
    -- This file is available at:
    -- http://www.chilkatsoft.com/testData/sample.csv

    DECLARE @csv int
    -- Use "Chilkat_9_5_0.Csv" for versions of Chilkat < 10.0.0
    EXEC @hr = sp_OACreate 'Chilkat.Csv', @csv OUT
    IF @hr <> 0
    BEGIN
        PRINT 'Failed to create ActiveX component'
        RETURN
    END

    -- Prior to loading the CSV file, indicate that the 1st row
    -- should be treated as column names:
    EXEC sp_OASetProperty @csv, 'HasColumnNames', 1

    -- Load the CSV records from the file:
    DECLARE @success int

    EXEC sp_OAMethod @csv, 'LoadFile', @success OUT, 'sample.csv'
    IF @success <> 1
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @csv, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @csv
        RETURN
      END

    -- A field may contain the delimiter character (in this case
    -- the delimiter is a comma):
    -- Change "cheese" to "cheese,baguette"
    -- ("cheese" is at row=0, column=3
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @csv, 'SetCell', @success OUT, 0, 3, 'cheese,baguette'

    -- A field may also contain double-quotes:
    -- Change blue to shiny "metallic" blue
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @csv, 'SetCell', @success OUT, 1, 1, 'shiny "metallic" blue'

    -- Write the updated CSV to a string and display:
    DECLARE @csvDoc nvarchar(4000)

    EXEC sp_OAMethod @csv, 'SaveToString', @csvDoc OUT

    PRINT @csvDoc

    -- Save the CSV to a file:
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @csv, 'SaveFile', @success OUT, 'out.csv'
    IF @success <> 1
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @csv, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
      END

    -- The out.csv contains this:
    -- year,color,country,food
    -- 2001,red,France,"cheese,baguette"
    -- 2005,"shiny ""metallic"" blue","United States",hamburger
    -- 2008,green,Italy,pasta
    -- 1998,orange,Japan,sush

    EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @csv


END
GO