[Python-ideas] csv.DictReader could handle headers more intelligently.

[J. Cliff Dyer]

On Thu, 2013-01-24 at 15:29 +0000, Mark Hackett wrote:
> On Thursday 24 Jan 2013, J. Cliff Dyer wrote:
> > > > 2. Give an error when encountering a duplicate field name (which 
> > > > will lead to data loss when reading from the file) (consensus seems
> > > > to be "yes") 
> > 
> > Mostly, but with a strong objection from Mark Hackett, and hesitation
> > about altering current behavior from Amaury Forgeot d'Arc.
> > 
> 
> 
> More along the lines of your earlier:
> 
> > 1. It's a backwards-incompatible change.
> 
> strong objection. :-)
> 
> Programs that had been working will stop. Programs that won't work because it 
> doesn't throw an exception yet are no worse off.
> 

Noted.  I will say that this doesn't seem any worse than any other
backwards-incompatible change, which are sometimes allowed, so it should
probably be considered by the same standard.

That said, what are your feelings on adding a CarefulDictReader?