csv-mode can’t guess separator when it’s the unit separator #x1f

csv-mode can’t guess separator when it’s the unit separator #x1f

[Titus von der Malsburg]

Hi,

I’m using the unit separator ASCII #x1f in “csv” files, because that’s more robust than using comma or tab (which may both be used as part of the data, which creates ambiguity).  The unit separator was created precisely for this purpose.

Since various characters are conventionally used as separators, csv-mode has a convenient function for guessing the separator.  (It’s typically, the one character which has the same number of appearances on all lines of the file.)  Unfortunately, csv-mode currently does not consider the unit separator as a candidate when guessing.  Below is a patch that fixes that.  Could someone please apply this patch?  This list is specified as the maintainer in the source file.

Thank you.

  Titus


diff --git a/csv-mode.el b/csv-mode.el
index f639dcf..18fe8ce 100644
--- a/csv-mode.el
+++ b/csv-mode.el
@@ -1866,6 +1866,7 @@ When CUTOFF is passed, look only at the first CUTOFF number of characters."
                   text)))
       (when (and (not (gethash c chars))
                  (or (= c ?\t)
+                     (= c ?\C-_)
                      (and (not (member c '(?. ?/ ?\" ?')))
                           (not (member (get-char-code-property c 'general-category)
                                        '(Lu Ll Lt Lm Lo Nd Nl No Ps Pe Cc Co))))))

Re: csv-mode can’t guess separator when it’s the unit separator #x1f

[Simen Heggestøyl]

Titus von der Malsburg <malsburg@posteo.de> writes:

> Hi,
>
> I’m using the unit separator ASCII #x1f in “csv” files, because that’s more robust than using comma or tab (which may both be used as part of the data, which creates ambiguity).  The unit separator was created precisely for this purpose.
>
> Since various characters are conventionally used as separators, csv-mode has a convenient function for guessing the separator.  (It’s typically, the one character which has the same number of appearances on all lines of the file.)  Unfortunately, csv-mode currently does not consider the unit separator as a candidate when guessing.  Below is a patch that fixes that.  Could someone please apply this patch?  This list is specified as the maintainer in the source file.
>
> Thank you.
>
>   Titus

Thanks Titus, I've applied the patch.

-- Simen