Re: [PATCH] gnu: add xlsx2csv.

[Catonano <catonano@gmail.com>]

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2016-08-12 14:42 GMT+02:00 Ben Woodcroft <b.woodcroft@uq.edu.au>:

> Hi,
>
> On 11/08/16 23:02, Catonano wrote:
>
>
>
> 2016-08-11 14:11 GMT+02:00 Jan Nieuwenhuizen <janneke@gnu.org>:
>
>> Ben Woodcroft writes:
>>
>> [..]
>
>
>> > However, I note that while the check phase passes, many of the tests
>> > are reported as being failed. Could you look into it?
>>
> That's trying to run them with non-installed python versions.  Patched
> the test script to only use `python.'
>
>
> Ah, I see. Better.
>
> [..]
>
> >> +    (synopsis "xlsx to csv converter")
>> >> +    (description
>> >> +     "Xls2csv converts xslx files to csv format.  Handles large
>> >> xlsx-files.")
>>
>> > How about "Xlsx2csv is a program to convert Open Office XML (XLSX)
>> > format spreadsheets into plaintext @dfn{comma separated values} (CSV)
>> > files.  It was designed to be fast and to handle large input files."
>>
>> Better, thanks.
>>
>
> for what it matters, I would leave the original wording in place.
>
> It's important that people know that this packages deals also with
> Microsoft Excel files.
>
> There are tons of such files around and people struggle with them
>
> It happened to me recently. I had to convert a bunch of those files and
> the tools I found were not adequate.
>
> I did it by hand and then discovered xlsx2csv
>
> If someone (especially from the data journalism or open data camps)
> casually browses the Guix packages list, I think it's important that it's
> clear that this package deals with xlsx files
>
> The OpenOffce name could be misleading to not too tech oriented people.
>
> I understand there's the problem of not steering people to non free
> software. But this package is supposed to help people trying to bring data
> outside of that realm.
>
> They don't need not be steered to Excel, they are already trying to get
> away, if they come to this package.
>
>
> OK, I see your point, and we have other packages that mention Excel
> already. It is frustrating that the official name is misleading.
>

Eh. People identify software projects/products with file formats.


> Would either of you like to suggest an alternative wording?
>
> Thanks,
> ben
>

I would say

> "Xlsx2csv is a program to convert xlsx
> format files into plaintext @dfn{comma separated values} (CSV)
> files.  It was designed to be fast and to handle large files."

In this way they could search on tne internet the meaning of xlsx and csv
and know exactly what ths package is about.

Even the original wording proposed by Jan isn't bad, in my opinion. But
admittedly I didn't check whether it conforms to synopses guidelines.

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