parsing a file 1

[megabyte214]

I am using StringTokenizer to parse a text file. The file contains items with different attributes, delimitated by commas.

An example line is:

0001,"Abbot, Baker, and Miller”,4444,"fiction",,06182000

I have 2 questions. First, using StringTokenizer, is there a way to differentiate between a comma in an attribute and a comma between attributes?

Secondly, StringTokenizer doesn’t seem to like it when there are 2 commas together. This happens when an attribute is blank. If I put a space between the commas, it is fine, but unfortunately, I cannot change the file.

I realize that I can write my own parser to do all of this, but I am trying to take advantage of an existing class if there is one that can help me.
Would StreamTokenizer be better for what I am trying to do? I have never used it before.

Thanks in advance.

 

[prosper]

import java.util.StringTokenizer;
public class str
{
public static void main(String args[])
{
String inputString = "this,,is,,a,test"; //read from file
String inputString2 = inputString.replaceAll(",,",", ,"); // empty string will be replace by a space
StringTokenizer st = new StringTokenizer(inputString2, ",");
while (st.hasMoreTokens())
{
System.out.println(st.nextToken());
}
}
}

 

[megabyte214]

Thanks, that works!

 

[stefanwagner]

Another solution for the ',,' Problem is, to tell the Tokenizer to return the separters too (normally they are skipped):

st = new StringTokenizer (",", true);

The embedded commas aren't solved with this, and
0004, "Evender \"the real deal\" Holiday", ... might be an additional problem.