(Tcl) 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.

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load ./chilkat.dll

# 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

set csv [new_CkCsv]

# Prior to loading the CSV file, indicate that the 1st row
# should be treated as column names:
CkCsv_put_HasColumnNames $csv 1

# Load the CSV records from the file:

set success [CkCsv_LoadFile $csv "sample.csv"]
if {$success != 1} then {
    puts [CkCsv_lastErrorText $csv]
    delete_CkCsv $csv
    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
set success [CkCsv_SetCell $csv 0 3 "cheese,baguette"]

# A field may also contain double-quotes:
# Change blue to shiny "metallic" blue
set success [CkCsv_SetCell $csv 1 1 "shiny \"metallic\" blue"]

# Write the updated CSV to a string and display:

set csvDoc [CkCsv_saveToString $csv]
puts "$csvDoc"

# Save the CSV to a file:
set success [CkCsv_SaveFile $csv "out.csv"]
if {$success != 1} then {
    puts [CkCsv_lastErrorText $csv]
}

# 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

delete_CkCsv $csv