2018-01-20 15:23:18 +00:00

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The Comma-Separated-Value ('CSV') format is the most common way to store
spreadsheets or the output of relational database queries in plain-text
format. However, since commas (or other designated field-separator
characters) may be embedded within data entries, the parsing of
delimited records is non-trivial. Fortunately, in Perl this parsing is
well handled by CPAN distribution Text::CSV. This permits us to address
more specific data manipulation problems by building modules on top of
Text::CSV.
Text::CSV::Hashify is designed for the case where you simply want to
turn a CSV file into a Perl hash. In particular, it is designed for the
case where (a) the CSV file's first record is a list of fields in the
ancestral database table and (b) one field (column) functions as a
primary key, i.e., each record's entry in that field is non-null and is
distinct from every other record's entry therein. Text::CSV::Hashify
turns that kind of CSV file into one big hash of hashes.
Text::CSV::Hashify can handle less typical cases; please consult the
documentation for its other functionalities.