base.Channel.setDelimiter

Define the value delimiter for a channel.

Syntax

setDelimiter(
   delimiter STRING )
  1. delimiter is the value delimiter to be used.

Usage

After creating the channel object, define the field value delimiter with the setDelimiter() method.
CALL ch.setDelimiter("^")

The default delimiter is defined by the DBDELIMITER environment variable, or a pipe (|) if DBDELIMITER is not defined.

Specify CSV as the delimiter to read/write in Comma Separated Value format: 
CALL ch.setDelimiter("CSV")
Specify TSV as the delimiter to read/write in TAB Separated Value format: 
CALL ch.setDelimiter("TSV")
Important: Setting a NULL delimiter is allowed for backward compatibility, but must be avoided. This was a workaround to read/write complete lines. If the delimiter is set to NULL, the read() and write() methods do not use the backslash (\) escape character. As a result, data with special characters like backslash, delimiter or line-feed will be written as is, and reading data will ignore escaped characters in the source stream. If you need to read or write non-formatted data, it is recommended that you use the readLine()/ writeLine() methods instead. These methods do not use a delimiter, nor do they use the backslash escape character.

Rules for CSV/TSV format

The CSV (Comma Separated Values) or TSV (TAB Separated Values) format rules for stringification is similar to the default format when using a regular single-character delimiter, with the following differences:

  • Values might be surrounded with " double quotes.
  • Leading and trailing blanks are kept (no truncation).
  • No ending delimiter is expected at the end of the input record.
  • With CSV, a comma character in the value is not be escaped, and the value must be double-quoted.
  • With TSV, a TAB character in the value is not be escaped, and the value must be double-quoted.
  • A NEWLINE character in the value is not be escaped, and the value must be double-quoted.
  • A double-quote character in the value must be doubled, and the value must be double-quoted.
  • A \ backslash characters in the value is not escaped, and the value must be double-quoted.