On 2018/05/01 8:21 PM, Peter Da Silva wrote:
On 5/1/18, 1:15 PM, "sqlite-users on behalf of R Smith"
<sqlite-users-boun...@mailinglists.sqlite.org on behalf of ryansmit...@gmail.com> wrote:
On 1 May 2018, at 6:43pm, Peter Da Silva<peter.dasi...@flightaware.com>
wrote:
> CSV is an interchange format, it's for software to communicate with other software, so the syntax needs to be independent of the locale since you don't know if the sender and recipient are in the same locale. Field separator is syntax, so the locale settings should not have any effect on it.
That is a very bold and idealistic claim.
I'm not claiming what you think I'm claiming. All I'm saying is that CSV is meant to
communicate with software, not humans. Locales are there for humans. Using "the
locale says list separates are semicolons" as a justification for sometimes using
semicolons in an interchange format instead of commas doesn't make sense.
My point is that CSV was not necessarily "meant" to be what you say. Who
exactly "meant" for it to be that? Because the official stuff makes no
such claim or mention.
That said, I'm agreeing, it is nowadays very much used as a data
exchange, no modern users read CSV files for a hobby, and Excel (or any
other software) using the locale for "List separator" inside CSV files
should probably turn a new page and stop doing that - I feel it will be
better, I'm just not as convinced as you that my opinion on this is
ultimate.
Do you actually have a reference for that being the reason for Excel using
semicolons?
I have zero proof that it is WHY they do it, but I have proof that it IS
what they do - the verification is rather easy, you can change your
windows locale setting for List separator and see for yourself. (The
record separator in turn affects the records, but mostly that is CRLF in
all locales). You might need to restart Excel after changing locale
settings.
Your point is however more towards the WHY question, and no, I am not
sure. But, you know, it's Microsoft - after they made "locales" they
probably wanted someone to use it, so they bullied Excel division into
it. :)
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