Re: Ragged CSV import

Andrew Dunstan <andrew(at)dunslane(dot)net> writes:
> 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.

Hmm. Accepting too few columns and filling with nulls isn't any
different than what INSERT has always done. But ignoring extra columns
seems like a different ballgame. Can you talk your client out of that
one? It just seems like a bad idea.

As for the "numerous occasions", maybe I've not been paying attention,
but I don't recall any ...

regards, tom lane