CSV Library in C

Overview

This project is a simple CSV (Comma-Separated Values) library in C for reading and writing CSV files. The library handles CSV records dynamically using memory allocation, allowing efficient storage and processing of fields.

Features

• Read and write CSV files one record at a time.
• Dynamically allocate memory for fields and records.
• Handle variable-length fields and records.
• Prevent buffer overruns by allocating space as needed.
• Ensure proper memory management to avoid leaks.

Data Structure

typedef struct record {
    int num_fields;       // Number of fields in the record
    int *field_lengths;   // Array storing lengths of each field
    char **fields;        // Array of dynamically allocated field strings
} record_t;

Functionality

Reading a CSV File

• Reads one record at a time from a file.
• Dynamically resizes memory to accommodate varying field sizes.
• Uses getc() to process characters efficiently.
• Handles empty lines as single-field records with an empty string.

Writing a CSV File

• Writes records to a file using fprintf().
• Ensures proper formatting with commas and newline characters.
• Maintains the original record order.

Memory Management

• Allocates memory dynamically for records and fields.
• Uses realloc() for efficient space management.
• Frees memory properly to prevent leaks.

Usage

Compilation

Compile the project using a standard C compiler:

gcc -o csv_program main.c csv.c -Wall -Wextra -pedantic

Example Usage

Reading a CSV file

FILE *fp = fopen("data.csv", "r");
record_t record;
while (read_record(fp, &record)) {
    // Process record
    free_record(&record); // Free memory after use
}
fclose(fp);

Writing a CSV file

FILE *fp = fopen("output.csv", "w");
record_t record = {/* Populate record */};
write_record(fp, &record);
fclose(fp);
free_record(&record); // Free memory after use

Error Handling

• The program prints error messages if memory allocation fails.
• Handles file I/O errors gracefully.

Future Improvements

• Add support for quoted fields.
• Implement escaping for special characters.
• Optimize memory reallocation strategies.

Author

Jean Michel Mugabe

Acknowledgement

Dr. Michael Cormier (micormier@mta.ca)