[Tutor] Consolidate several lines of a CSV file with firewall rules

[Mark Lawrence]

On 11/10/2013 16:09, Juan I. Scopp wrote:
> Hi guys.
> I have a CSV file, which I created using an HTML export from a Check
> Point firewall policy.
> Each rule is represented as several lines, in some cases. That occurs
> when a rule has several address sources, destinations or services.
> I need the output to have each rule described in only one line.
> It's easy to distinguish when each rule begins. In the first column,
> there's the rule ID, which is a number.
>
> Let me show you an example:
>
> NO.;NAME;SOURCE;DESTINATION;VPN  ;SERVICE;ACTION;TRACK;INSTALL
> ON;TIME;COMMENT
> 1;;fwxcluster;mcast_vrrp;;vrrp;accept;Log;fwxcluster;Any;"VRRP;;*Comment
> suppressed*
> ;;;;;igmp**;;;;;
> 2;;fwxcluster;fwxcluster;;FireWall;accept;Log;fwxcluster;Any;"Management
> FWg;*Comment suppressed*
> ;;fwmgmpe**;fwmgmpe**;;ssh**;;;;;
> ;;fwmgm**;fwmgm**;;;;;;;
> 3;NTP;G_NTP_Clients;cmm_ntpserver_pe01;;ntp;accept;None;fwxcluster;Any;*Comment
> suppressed*
> ;;;cmm_ntpserver_pe02**;;;;;;;
> What I need ,explained in pseudo code, is this:
>
> Read the first column of the next line. If there's a number:
> Evaluate the first column of the next line. If there's no number there,
> concatenate (separating with a comma) \
> the strings in the columns of this line with the last one and eliminate
> the text in the current one
>
> The output should be something like this:
>
> NO.;NAME;SOURCE;DESTINATION;VPN  ;SERVICE;ACTION;TRACK;INSTALL
> ON;TIME;COMMENT
> 1;;fwxcluster,fwmgmpe**,fwmgm**;mcast_vrrp,fwmgmpe**,fwmgm**;;vrrp,ssh**;accept;Log;fwxcluster;Any;*Comment
> suppressed*
> ;;;;;;;;;;
> ;;;;;;;;;;
> 3;NTP;G_NTP_Clients;cmm_ntpserver_pe01,cmm_ntpserver_pe02**;;ntp;accept;None;fwxcluster;Any;*Comment
> suppressed*
> ;;;;;;;;;;
>
> The empty lines are there only to be more clear, I don't actually need them.
>
> Thanks!
>

Save your time folks, this was answered hours ago on the main Python 
mailing list.

-- 
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Most poems rhyme,
But this one doesn't.

Mark Lawrence