CSV driver specific dataset creation option "SEPARATOR=SEMICOLON"

[sfkeller]

Currently the CSV writer outputs commas (",") as field value separators (or delimiters). This follows "best practices" of CSV but fails to serve MS Excel as expected. In order to support also a non-negligible amount of Windows (and Mac) users I suggest to be able to specify also semicolon or tab as separator.

Proposal: CSV driver specific dataset creation option for field value separators, called SEPARATOR where commas are the default. This may be overridden through use of the dataset creation option SEPARATOR which may have a value of COMMA, SEMICOLON, or TAB. Example: ogr2ogr -f CSV -dsco SEPARATOR=SEMICOLON out myfile.shp

[Monty]

I also need the Semicolon Seperator, for Fileimports to Openoffice and other spreadsheet application. Replace , for ; dont work realy.

[Even Rouault]

In r16759, add support for reading and writing CSV files with semicolon or tabulation as the field separator. Test added in r16760

[warmerdam]

Even,

I'm quite nervous that you have changed the core csv code autodetect separators. This seems risky. Given that you are doing so, I would prefer that it default to the original behavior (using the comma). I would also suggest that CSVDetectSeperator should understand csv style quoting so it doesn't pick up delimiters that are within a quoted string in the file.

[Even Rouault]

r16752: "Partial revert of r16759 so we don't use separator autodetection for core CSV code, but only for new API CSVReadParseLine2(); Improve CSVDetectSeperator() to understand CSV quoting"

[Even Rouault]

grr, the right revision is r16762