Issue with Tab separator and Backslash

[marcde...@gmail.com]

Hi Neil,

the reason why I almost always prefer tab separated files
is there is no need to quote or escape anything since no
person I have ever known would have a TAB in their data.

I have noticed there are problems with a tab separated file
if the field ends with a backslash "\".
I have got the following tab separated file "testbs.txt":
Name    Code
Chrysalis\    00148

The name "Chrysalis\" is depicted as it is with backslash.

The command csvfix.exe read_dsv -s \t testbs.txt
produces the following csv file:
"Name","Code"
"Chrysalis    00148"

This means the backslash is removed because csvfix assumes
I want to escape the tab sign following after the backslash.
However, it is the expected behaviour, see the help for read_dsv
"If a value needs to contain the delimiter, then it must be escaped
using a backslash, as must any occurrences of the backslash itself."

This is really a bit tedious because I should have to double write
the backslash to get the desired output.
Name    Code
Chrysalis\\    00148

Is there an option to avoid backslash escaping?

Thank you.

[Neil Butterworth]

With this and other questions here, you seem to imagine that CSVfix is some general-purpose text-processing tool. It isn't, It is intended to be a CSV (comma-separated variables) processor. I added the ability to deal partially with some other formats (XML, TSV), etc. but in neither case is it a complete solution to dealing with those formats, and it isn't intended to be.

Also, one question per day (or less) please.