[Qgis-user] csv import issue

[Chris Crook]

Hi Telmo

You have a good point, at the moment there is no easy way to define data types for delimited text provider fields and it is has caused issues for other users too.  The delimited text provider (ex plugin) in QGIS will support the csvt file in 2.0, which at least provides a direct way of specifiying data types without a workaround.

If you are repeatedly using the same type of data, then all you need to do is to copy the same csvt file for each one (just renaming it to match the data file).  But I agree it is an extra step.

I don't thing using quoting as a way of determining data type is safe is we can't be sure that numeric data won't be quoted - quoting is about formatting the file, not about data type. It could be an option, but that might just get confusing.  I think that simply being able to select the data type for fields in the dialog is a better way to go, and is consistent with other software..  maybe in 2.1 :-)

Cheers
Chris

> I have a recurrent issue when loading csv files.
> When one of the fields is a text field only with numeric characters qgis
> allways imports that field as numeric. You might ask why would I want a
> field with numeric characters to be a text field, and the answer is that
> one dataset I usually use, the administrative regions regions are codedH
> with numeric characters as text...for example 011312 that is converted to
> 11312 even if the values in the csv file have the quote markers (" or ')
> and I define that on the csv import dialog (see below a csv example)
>
> I have found diferent workarround solutions for this issue like:
>
> - converting the code on the original shapefile to numeric
> - importing the csv to a database and loading from the database
> - creating a dummy record where i put a letter character in that field
>
> They all work, but is just annoying to do this over and over and adds some
> unecessary steps in the data analysis workflow (for example when importing
> a satscan gis file output to map the clusters). My question is:
>
> - Am I missing something here?
> - If not, is it possible to fix that?
>
> Below is a portion of a csv file, if you manage to import the file and
> keep the LOC_ID field as text please let me know.
>
>
> 'ID';'LOC_ID';'CLUSTER';'P_VALUE';'CLU_OBS';'CLU_EXP';'CLU_ODE';'CLU_RISK';'LOC_OBS';'LOC_EXP';'LOC_ODE';'LOC_RISK'
> 1;'070105';1,00;1,0e-17;283,00;72,06;3,92;13,44;0,00;0,00;0,00;0,00
> 2;'070101';1,00;1,0e-17;283,00;72,06;3,92;13,44;0,00;2,58;0,00;0,00
> 3;'070103';1,00;1,0e-17;283,00;72,06;3,92;13,44;0,00;2,72;0,00;0,00
> 4;'071002';1,00;1,0e-17;283,00;72,06;3,92;13,44;47,00;3,12;15,03;17,07
>
> My best regards
>
> Telmo Nunes
>
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