Perl

CSV Special Chars - Comma, Double-Quotes

See more CSV Examples

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.

Perl

use chilkat();

$success = 0;

# 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

$csv = chilkat::CkCsv->new();

# Prior to loading the CSV file, indicate that the 1st row
# should be treated as column names:
$csv->put_HasColumnNames(1);

# Load the CSV records from the file:

$success = $csv->LoadFile("sample.csv");
if ($success != 1) {
    print $csv->lastErrorText() . "\r\n";
    exit;
}

# 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
$success = $csv->SetCell(0,3,"cheese,baguette");

# A field may also contain double-quotes:
# Change blue to shiny "metallic" blue
$success = $csv->SetCell(1,1,"shiny \"metallic\" blue");

# Write the updated CSV to a string and display:

$csvDoc = $csv->saveToString();
print $csvDoc . "\r\n";

# Save the CSV to a file:
$success = $csv->SaveFile("out.csv");
if ($success != 1) {
    print $csv->lastErrorText() . "\r\n";
}

# 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