CSV
How CSV Quoting Works and Why Embedded Commas Break Things
See how a stray comma turns one column into two, what the four quoting states are, and why a backslash does not escape a quote in CSV the way it does in code.
8 min read
Library
Everything you need to level up your coding skills.
Excel
Importing Excel Into MySQL With Workbench and Scripts
MySQL Workbench cannot import XLSX directly. Convert to CSV for the wizard or LOAD DATA, or use a Python script, and avoid the strict mode and date traps.
7 min read
JSON
Unexpected Token in JSON at Position 0 and What It Means
An unexpected token error at position 0 means the text is not JSON: usually an HTML error page, the word undefined or an unparsed object. How to tell which.
7 min read
XML
XML Parsing Error Not Well Formed and How to Find the Spot
Read the not well-formed error in ElementTree, lxml and xmllint on a 28.6 MB file: line and column, what the position means and a method to find the cause.
7 min read
CSV
Comma Semicolon Tab or Pipe and How to Pick a Delimiter
Comma, semicolon, tab or pipe? Measure how often each appears in real text, see what a decimal comma does to a file, and choose a delimiter with a reason.
9 min read
Excel
Importing an Excel Sheet Into PostgreSQL With Python
Load an Excel sheet into PostgreSQL with pandas and psycopg: read as text, copy into a staging table, then convert types in SQL and keep a batch record.
7 min read
CSV
What RFC 4180 Says and Does Not Say About CSV Files
RFC 4180 is a four page memo, not a standard. Read its seven rules, the grammar quirks that surprise people, and how real files and readers drift from it.
10 min read
YAMLGuide
YAML Syntax You Need to Stop Guessing At and Start Knowing
A complete guide to everyday YAML syntax: indentation, scalars, quoting, collections, block strings, anchors, null and versions, tested with real parsers.
19 min read
JSONGuide
Fixing JSON Parse Errors by Reading the Message Properly
How to read a JSON parse error: what the position means in Python, Node, PHP and jq, twelve common causes, and a method that finds the bad byte fast.
18 min read
XMLGuide
Fixing XML Parse Errors Fast With a Triage Routine
A tested routine for XML that will not parse: check the bytes, then the encoding, then the characters, then the structure, with an error message dictionary.
19 min read
ExcelGuide
Getting Excel Data Into a Database Without Heartbreak
A complete method for loading Excel into PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite or SQL Server: read as text, stage, check counts, convert types and reload safely.
18 min read
Editor's pick
CSVGuide
Everything a CSV File Does and Does Not Promise You
A CSV file promises rows and delimiters and little else. See what six readers did with one awkward file, and how to read CSV without guessing.
24 min read
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