Re: bug#47885: [PATCH] org-table-import: Make it more smarter for interactive use

[Maxim Nikulin <manikulin@gmail.com>]

On 02/06/2021 00:46, Utkarsh Singh wrote:
>> Org 9.4.5+patches M-x org-table-import
>>
>> | 1,Word,66.3e-35 |            |                      |           |
>> | 2,Unquoted      | cell,2.7   |                      |           |
>> | 3,"Quoted       | cell",3.14 |                      |           |
>> | 4,"Cell         | ""with     | quotes""",2021-06-01 |           |
>> | 5,"Next         | cell       | is                   | empty","" |
>> | 6,"Cell         | with       | new                  |           |
>> | Line",6.28      |            |                      |           |
>>
>> So my personal conclusion is that CSV file is imported incorrectly in
>> both cases: with guessed separator and with explicitly requested through
>> prefix argument. Completion works a bit worse too.
> 
> Currently `org-table-guess-separator' returns "," (COMMA as string) and
> `org-table-covert-region' uses '(4) to represent COMMA as separator
> which is the main cause of breakdown in importing.
> 
> To make importing work well we have to:
> 
> + Guess right separator (`org-table-guess-separator')
> + Parse CSV with this separator (`org-table-covert-region')
> 
> As far as I can tell "guessing part" works well and now we just have to
> make parser work well with new separators.

Notice that for "C-u M-x org-table-import" heuristics is not necessary, 
the separator is specified explicitly. I see that your intention was to 
improve user interface of org-table-import, but actually you broke it by 
the "org-table-import: add file prompt" patch. I have not tried it, but 
my expectation is that user prompt can be customized while keeping all 
other things working. Maybe the docstring should be updated to make it 
more friendly to novices (like me while reviewing your patch).