Can python's csv reader leave the quotes in?

Question

I want to use the python CSV reader but I want to leave the quotes in. That is I want:

>>> s = \'\"simple|split\"|test\'
>>> reader = csv.         


        

Answer 1

I don't understand if you have a clear view of what you are trying to obtain.
You say "I know (...) my use case is an abuse" .
But abuse implies that exists the possibility of use.
However, in you case, there is no possible use, what you "described" is impossible because what is passed to a CSV parser must be of a valid CSV format and yours isn't.

In a CSV valid string, most of the characters are information and some characters are meta-information necessary to interpret the string to extract the information.
What you describe is that you want that characters " should be in the information category and meta-information category altogether. It's like someone wanting to catch his/her left hand with one's left hand.....

This problem is occurring with your string because it isn't a string coming from the reading of a CSV file. It's a string written as is.
It's impossible to obtain a string like this from the reading of a CSV file, because it couldn't have been written like that in the CSV file.
If written to a CSV file, '"simple|split"|test' could be written

• """simple|split"""|test
  with doublequote set to True, the default

• or #"simple#|split#"|test
  with doublequote = False, escapechar = '#'

.

If you want to extract the information like you described, you have not to create a parser, you have just to use an already existing tool:

import re

reg = re.compile('".*?"|[^|]+')

print reg.findall('yoo|"simple|split"|test|end"pos|hu')

result

['yoo', '"simple|split"', 'test', 'end"pos', 'hu']