Write a string within a list to one cell in a CSV file. Python 2.7 Windows 7

Question

Is it possible to write a string stored into a list into a .CSV file into one cell?

I have a folder with files and I want to write the file names onto a .csv file.

Folder with files:

    Data.txt
    Data2.txt
    Data3.txt

Here is my code:

    import csv
    import os
    index = -1 
    filename = []
    filelist = []
    filelist = os.listdir("dirname")

        f = csv.writer(open("output.csv", "ab"), delimiter=",", quotechar=" ", quoting=csv.QUOTE_MINIMAL)

    for file in filelist:
        if (len(filelist) + index) <0: 
            break
        filename = filelist[len(filelist)+index]
        index -= 1
        f.writerow(filename)

Output I'm getting is one letter per cell in the .csv file:

      A B C D E F G H I       
    1 D a t a . t x t
    2 D a t a 2 . t x t
    3 D a t a 3 . t x t

Desired output would be to have it all in 1 cell. There should be three rows on the csv file with strings "Data.txt" in cell A1, "Data2.txt" in cell B1, and "Data3.txt" in cell C1:

      A          B
    1 Data.txt
    2 Data2.txt
    3 Data3.txt

Is it possible to do this? Let me know if you need more information. I am currently using Python 2.7 on Windows 7.

Solution/Corrected Code:

    import csv
    import os
    index = -1 
    filename = []
    filelist = []
    filelist = os.listdir("dirname")

        f = csv.writer(open("output.csv", "ab"), delimiter=",", quotechar=" ", quoting=csv.QUOTE_MINIMAL)

    for file in filelist:
        if (len(filelist) + index) <0: 
            break
        filename = filelist[len(filelist)+index]
        index -= 1
        f.writerow([filename]) #Need to send in a list of strings without the ',' as a delimiter since writerow expects a tuple/list of strings.

Please can you post the code that causes the issue, the code posted has some basic syntax errors and a missing import. Also you set index to -1 and break if index is less than 0 causing the script not do anything. — Noelkd
– Noelkd, Commented Jun 25, 2014 at 15:43
It's still not right, getting a syntax error on the if line because of a missing colon, can you take a look at this — Noelkd
– Noelkd, Commented Jun 25, 2014 at 15:55

Noelkd · Accepted Answer · 2014-06-25 16:23:02Z

3

You can do this:

import csv
import os

filelist = os.listdir("dirname")  # Use a real directory
f = csv.writer(open("output.csv", 'ab'), delimiter=",", quotechar=" ", quoting=csv.QUOTE_MINIMAL)
for file_name in filelist:
    f.writerow([file_name])

Writerow expects a sequence, for example a list of strings. You're giving it a single string which it is then iterating over causing you to see each letter of the string with a , between.

answered Jun 25, 2014 at 16:23

Noelkd

7,9272 gold badges35 silver badges45 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

2 Comments

user3685687 Over a year ago

That solved it. Never knew it was just to have the brackets :D That makes a lot of sense now. Have a great day! Thanks for all of the advice and help @Noelkd

Noelkd Over a year ago

No problem try to fix your code blocks in the question you only need a four space indent.

intirior · Accepted Answer · 2022-01-26 20:56:06Z

0

you can also put each sentence/value that you want to be in 1 cell inside a list and all the internal lists inside one external list.

something like this:

import csv
import os

list_ = [["value1"], ["value2"], ["value3"]]
with open('test.csv', 'w', newline='') as f:
    writer = csv.writer(f)
    writer.writerows(list_)

answered Jan 26, 2022 at 20:56

intirior

11 bronze badge

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Write a string within a list to one cell in a CSV file. Python 2.7 Windows 7

2 Answers 2

2 Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

2 Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related