# Help needed with multi line text file to CSV

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-needed-with-multi-line-text-file-to-csv/46284>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [26 May 2021 14:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-needed-with-multi-line-text-file-to-csv/46284 "2021-05-26T14:13:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Rime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc79bd/32.png) [@Rime](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Rime)\
**Post date:** [26 May 2021 14:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-needed-with-multi-line-text-file-to-csv/46284/1 "2021-05-26T14:13:23Z")

</div>

As new starter some hel needed on how to:  
I have a multi line text file that needs to be converted to csv.  
What node would be the best to start and how to add script to the node, been reading for hours now.  
example input  
CAR REPORT: STATUS DATA  
FILENAME: CARDATA.TXT  
TIME: 13:01  
DATE: 08MAR2021  
CAR TYPE SN: 123-456-4

ROUTE:000001 DATE:08MAR21 TIME:12:01

* * *

L WS1 85.3 %  
R WS1 85.3 %  
L WS2 84.8 %  
R WS2 84.8 %  
L OAT 749 K  
R OAT 771 K  
L AB6 106 BAR  
R AB6 105 BAR  
L WS1 NOISE 0.2 DB  
R WS1 NOISE 0.2 DB  
L WS2 NOISE 0.2 DB  
R WS2 NOISE 0.1 DB  
L WATER TEMP 106 K  
R WATER TEMP 104 K  
L WATER PRESSURE 70 BAR  
R WATER PRESSURE 73 BAR

ROUTE:00002 DATE:08MAR20 TIME:11:31

* * *

L WS1 89.3 %  
R WS1 89.4 %  
L WS2 89.8 %  
R WS2 89.8 %  
L OAT 840 K  
R OAT 858 K  
L AB6 209 BAR  
R AB6 210 BAR  
L WS1 NOISE 0.2 DB  
R WS1 NOISE 0.2 DB  
L WS2 NOISE 0.2 DB  
R WS2 NOISE 0.1 DB  
L WATER TEMP 106 K  
R WATER TEMP 103 K  
L WATER PRESSURE 72 BAR  
R WATER PRESSURE 74 BAR

then convert this to CSV like with one header line  
Date,Time,Route, L WS1, R WS2,L WS2........,R WATER PRESSURE  
then the values , separated for each block off data.

Your help where to start is very appreciated.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [26 May 2021 14:24 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-needed-with-multi-line-text-file-to-csv/46284/2 "2021-05-26T14:24:54Z")

</div>

2 questions...

1. Is this 1 single file?
2. do you _REALLY_ need CSV? - what is your end goal?

Also, since posting a copy probably removes hidden characters / changes the `newline` type, can you attach an actual file (instead of posting text)?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc79bd/32.png) [@Rime](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Rime)\
**Post date:** [26 May 2021 14:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-needed-with-multi-line-text-file-to-csv/46284/3 "2021-05-26T14:33:59Z")

</div>

Yes, but the original file is normally longer, just added the first 2 datablocks.  
end goal is to store in influxdb and visualize.  
For visualization not sure Grafana or Node red.  
Now got the message new users cannot upload files.  
Data is normal ASCII (windows /r/n)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [26 May 2021 14:53 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-needed-with-multi-line-text-file-to-csv/46284/4 "2021-05-26T14:53:33Z")

</div>

> [@Rime](#):
>
> end goal is to store in influxdb and visualize

Then you dont want CSV. You want an object with properties.

Without a test file I am not going to attempt to offer a solution as it will likely be subtly different to the HTML encased forum copy/paste post. You dont need to post a full file, trim it to 2 or 3 entries.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc79bd/32.png) [@Rime](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Rime)\
**Post date:** [26 May 2021 18:55 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-needed-with-multi-line-text-file-to-csv/46284/5 "2021-05-26T18:55:11Z")

</div>

[CAR01.txt](https://discourse.nodered.org/uploads/short-url/eFsACYrYYULM7t9VCMSQC6GJw5W.txt) (1.5 KB)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [26 May 2021 20:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-needed-with-multi-line-text-file-to-csv/46284/6 "2021-05-26T20:04:37Z")

</div>

Here you go...

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/b/2/b209ce32a263bb09d6e974da11e6cf8c63b293ac.png)

Its not pretty and there is minimal error checking but it should get you moving.

```auto
[{"id":"6393d8f.bc37b28","type":"inject","z":"c559743c.82b088","name":"","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","x":1620,"y":1340,"wires":[["2f5d65cf.529caa"]]},{"id":"2f5d65cf.529caa","type":"file in","z":"c559743c.82b088","name":"","filename":"CAR01.txt","format":"utf8","chunk":false,"sendError":false,"encoding":"none","x":1780,"y":1340,"wires":[["15f8df5b.b049b1"]]},{"id":"15f8df5b.b049b1","type":"function","z":"c559743c.82b088","name":"","func":"const ROUTEHEADER = /ROUTE:(\\d+)\\s+DATE:(.*)$/\nconst ROUTESEP = \"------------------------------------\";\nconst ROUTEENTRY = /(.+)\\s\\s+(\\d+\\.*\\d*)/\n\nconst data = msg.payload.split(\"\\n\")\nconst result = {\n routes: []\n};\n\nSkipBlankLines(data);\nReadFileHeader(data);\n\nwhile(data.length) {\n SkipBlankLines(data);\n var route = ReadRoute(data);\n if(route) result.routes.push(route);\n}\n\nmsg.payload = result;\nreturn msg;\n\n\nfunction ReadFileHeader(lines) {\n //while((lines.shift() + \"\").trim())\n while(lines.length && (lines[0] + \"\").trim() ) {\n let line = (lines.shift() + \"\").trim(); \n let parts = line.split(\":\");\n if(parts.length != 2) continue;\n let key = parts[0].trim();\n let val = parts[1].trim();\n result[key] = val;\n }\n return lines.length > 0;\n}\n\nfunction SkipBlankLines(lines) {\n while( (lines[0] + \"\").trim() == \"\" ) {\n lines.shift(); \n } \n return lines.length > 0;\n}\n\nfunction GetNextRouteHeader(lines) {\n //while((lines.shift() + \"\").trim())\n while(lines.length && !ROUTEHEADER.test(lines[0]) ) {\n lines.shift()\n }\n if(!lines.length) return null;\n var h = (lines.shift() + \"\").trim();\n var routeHeader = h.match(ROUTEHEADER);\n return {\n ROUTE: routeHeader[1],\n DATE : routeHeader[2]\n }\n}\n\n\nfunction FindRouteSep(lines) {\n //while((lines.shift() + \"\").trim())\n while(lines.length && lines[0] != ROUTESEP ) {\n lines.shift()\n } \n return lines.length > 0;\n}\n\nfunction ReadRoute(lines) {\n var route = GetNextRouteHeader(lines);\n if(!route) return null;\n if(!FindRouteSep(lines)) {\n return null;\n }\n lines.shift()//remove separator------\n SkipBlankLines(lines);\n \n //read entries\n while( lines.length && ROUTEENTRY.test((lines[0] + \"\").trim()) ) {\n const l = (lines.shift() + \"\").trim();\n const match = l.match(ROUTEENTRY);\n let name = (match[1]+\"\").trim();\n let value = (match[2]+\"\").trim();\n route[name] = Number(value);\n }\n return route;\n}\n\n","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"initialize":"","finalize":"","libs":[],"x":1630,"y":1400,"wires":[["ed22be37.36a5c"]]},{"id":"ed22be37.36a5c","type":"debug","z":"c559743c.82b088","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"false","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":1800,"y":1400,"wires":[]}]

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [25 July 2021 20:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-needed-with-multi-line-text-file-to-csv/46284/7 "2021-07-25T20:04:43Z")

</div>

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