Using Text Qualifier Characters in Input Files

A text qualifier character can be used to mark the start and end of a column field in a file that is input to the BDT utility. This is useful when the field value itself contains a character that would normally act as a field delimiter. Use the qualifier to indicate to BDT that the data following the delimiter is part of the same field, and not the beginning of the next field.

Any printable ASCII character can be specified as a text qualifier, except for the backslash (\) character. Also note that the qualifier character cannot be the same as the delimiter character.

For example, in the following input file, the comma is the delimiter character, but it is also part of the address field. To let BDT know that the text after the comma is also part of the same field, the value must be enclosed with a text qualifier.

Example

Data before adding text qualifier:

#bash

    Firstname, Lastname, Address
    James,Brown,1745 E. New St., Apt. 22,Chicago
    Scott,Smith,400 South Warren Street,Trenton

Data after adding text qualifier:

    James,Brown,"1745 E. New St., Apt. 22,Chicago"
    Scott,Smith,"400 South Warren Street,Trenton"