Extract text from txt file and insert it in CSV column

Programming Help
#1

Say I have a folder full of .txt files. Within each text file, there is a line that says the following:

Name: [name here]

So for example, the first three text files could contain Bob Smith, Joe Snow, or Mary Fields in the “Name” field (in the place of [name here]).

I’d like to extract the names into a CSV file that looks like this:

file_name, name
1.txt, Bob Smith
2.txt, Joe Snow
3.txt, Mary Fields

I’m thinking that the command line or Python can help me achieve this, but any help will be appreciated!

#2

Hey there @hy9fesh :wave:,

For this problem, I don’t know how to do this using Python, but I do know how to do this using JavaScript with Node.js. Using Nodejs’ filesystem module that will read and write any file and JavaScripts functions that will turn it into a Comma Seperated Text and then use the filesystem again to make a .csv file. If you’re interested, you can ask more with me. :slightly_smiling_face:

#4

I would be open to a JS solution as well!

#6

NodeJS solution:

const fs = require('fs');

const files = fs.readdirSync('./').filter((file) => /.txt$/.test(file));
if (!files.length) process.exit(1);

fs.writeFileSync('names.csv', 'file_name, name\n');

files.forEach((file) => {
  const match = fs.readFileSync(file, { encoding: 'utf8' }).match(/Name:\s*(\b.+?)\s*$/);
  if (match && match[1]) {
    fs.appendFileSync('names.csv', `${file}, ${match[1]}\n`);
  }
});

Have fun!