NAME

Parse::Stallion::CSV - Comma Separated Values

SYNOPSIS

  This is primarily for demonstrating Parse::Stallion.

  use Parse::Stallion::CSV;

  my $csv_stallion = new Parse::Stallion::CSV;

  my $input_string = 'header1,header2,header3'."\n";
  $input_string .= 'field_1_1,field_1_2,field_1_3'."\n";
  $input_string .=
   '"field_2_1 3 words",field_2_2 3 words,\"field3_2 x\"'."\n";

  my $result = eval {$csv_stallion->
   parse_and_evaluate({parse_this=>$input_string})};

  if ($@) {
    if ($csv_stallion->parse_failed) {#parse failed};
  }
  # $result should contain reference to a hase same as
   {'header' => [ 'header1', 'header2', 'header3' ],
    'records' => [
     [ 'field_1_1', 'field_1_2', 'field_1_3' ],
     [ 'field_2_1 3 words', 'field_2_2 3 words', '"field3_2 x"' ]
    ]
   };

DESCRIPTION

Reads a comma separated value string, returning a reference to a hash containing the headers and the data.

The source of the grammar from the RFC and the implementation follow to demonstrate how one can use Parse::Stallion.

GRAMMAR SOURCE

The grammar used here is based on RFC 4180, see for example http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc41801. The grammar represented by an ABNF grammar:

   file = [header CRLF] record *(CRLF record) [CRLF]

   header = name *(COMMA name)

   record = field *(COMMA field)

   name = field

   field = (escaped / non-escaped)

   escaped = DQUOTE *(TEXTDATA / COMMA / CR / LF / 2DQUOTE) DQUOTE

   non-escaped = *TEXTDATA

   COMMA = %x2C

   CR = %x0D

   DQUOTE =  %x22

   LF = %x0A

   CRLF = CR LF

   TEXTDATA =  %x20-21 / %x23-2B / %x2D-7E