I have received a requirement for the ability to import ragged CSV files, i.e. files that contain variable numbers of columns per row. The requirement is that extra columns would be ignored and missing columns filled with NULL. The client wanting this has wrestled with some preprocessors to try to get what they want, but they would feel happier with this built in. This isn't the first time I have received this request since we implemented CSV import. People have complained on numerous occasions about the strictness of the import routines w.r.t. the number of columns.
I don't think that providing a CSV import mode for reading these files will be very difficult or invasive. If it's not acceptable, I will provide it to the client as a patch, and I will be retrofitting it to 8.4 anyway. But I think it's not an unreasonable request.
Thoughts? cheers andrew -- Sent via pgsql-hackers mailing list (pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-hackers
