CSV::can't convert String into Integer

Question

I would like to import csv file into my database. I am using Ruby 1.8.7 and Rails 3.2.13 and the gem 'csv_importer'.

I am going to fetch productname and release_date from csv file

In my controller

 def import
        csv_text = File.read('test.csv')
        csv = CSV.parse(csv_text, :headers => true)
        csv.each do |row|
            puts row  #getting entire values from csv 
            puts row['productname'] #getting error
 end

If I print row/row[0], I am getting entire values from csv file as

productname,release_date

xxx,yyy

in my log.

If I print row['productname'], I am getting error as can't convert String into Integer.

How can I rectify this error?

Jakob S · Accepted Answer · 2013-09-20 08:30:12Z

1

It looks like you are actually expecting the FasterCSV API, which does support a signature like parse(csv_text, :headers => true).

In Ruby version 1.9 the CSV library in stdlib was replaced with the FasterCSV library. Your code looks like it might work straight up in Ruby 1.9+.

If you want to use the FasterCSV style API without upgrading to a newer Ruby, you can grab the gem and use it instead of CSV:

require 'fastercsv'
csv_text = File.read('test.csv')
csv = FasterCSV.parse(csv_text, :headers => true)
csv.each do |row|
  puts row['productname']
end

answered Sep 20, 2013 at 8:30

Jakob S

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Jakob S · Accepted Answer · 2013-09-20 08:21:12Z

0

From http://ruby-doc.org/stdlib-1.8.7/libdoc/csv/rdoc/CSV.html#method-c-parse:

CSV.parse(str_or_readable, fs = nil, rs = nil, &block)
Parse lines from given string or stream. Return rows as an Array of Arrays.

... so row in your case is an Array. Array[] takes an Integer as argument, not aString`, which is why you're getting the error.

In other words; row['anything'] cannot work, but row[0] and row[1] will give you the values from column 1 and 2 of the row.

Now, in your case, you are actually calling CSV.parse like so:

CSV.parse(csv_text, :headers => true)

Looking at the docs, we see that the second argument to CSV.parse is the field separator. You're passing :headers => true as a field separator. That tells CSV to split each row whenever it encounters the string "headerstrue" - it doesn't, so it doesn't split each row.

If you remove the second argument to CSV.parse you should be closer to what you expect.

edited Sep 20, 2013 at 8:21

answered Sep 19, 2013 at 19:35

Jakob S

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1 Comment

Jakob S Over a year ago

Oh, that's what that meant. Updated my answer with even more documentation reading.

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