Space-In-Column-Name Flagger
Find header indices containing ASCII space U+0020 without changing the names; tabs and other Unicode whitespace are separate characters.
Description
Spaces in column labels can affect downstream naming conventions.
Spaces in column labels can affect downstream naming conventions. Detecting one specific character allows review without silently renaming headers.1
Find header indices containing ASCII space U+0020 without changing the names; tabs and other Unicode whitespace are separate characters.
When to use Space-In-Column-Name Flagger
Use this for the following task: Find header indices containing ASCII space U+0020 without changing the names; tabs and other Unicode whitespace are separate characters.
Prepare the CSV text, decoded cells or byte values requested below. Choose delimiter and header flags explicitly when those fields are present.
How to use Space-In-Column-Name Flagger and understand its results
- Prepare the CSV text, decoded cells or byte values requested below. Choose delimiter and header flags explicitly when those fields are present.
- Enter headers using the field table, then run the tool.
- Read indices. Interpret flags, units, ordering and placeholder values using the rules below.
- Review any reported issue or failed check, correct the supplied values when appropriate, and verify the result in its intended context.
| Input field | Meaning | Value type and bounds | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| headers | Headers | list of string; minimum entries 0; maximum entries 10000; each entry: string; maximum text length 10000 | Required |
Supply header strings and return zero-based positions containing an ASCII space anywhere. Preserve all names.2
indices = headers containing U+0020 This summarizes the declared operation. Units, indexing, inclusivity and exceptional cases are explained in the surrounding text.
| Output field | Meaning | Value type |
|---|---|---|
| indices | Indices | list of integer |
{
"input": {
"headers": [
"first name",
"last_name",
"zip code"
]
},
"output": {
"indices": [
0,
2
]
}
}Limitations and assumptions
Tabs and other Unicode whitespace are not matched. This does not parse a CSV or validate a destination schema.
Supply the decoded cell strings or raw values declared by the input fields; this tool does not load a spreadsheet file. Malformed requests produce input errors. A successfully evaluated request can still contain false flags, empty result lists or a result outside the supplied threshold; those outcomes have the meanings stated above.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Choose Field Whitespace Trimmer for this operation: Trim ECMAScript boundary whitespace from every decoded CSV cell and re-encode with minimal quoting and LF record endings; interior whitespace is preserved. For a complementary task, use Header Row Detection Heuristic for this operation: Flag a possible header when its labels are unique and nonempty and at least half of columns have text labels above consistently numeric values; this is an explicit heuristic.
Further background: Format and language reference: Space-In-Column-Name Flagger.
References
-
Format and language reference: Space-In-Column-Name Flagger — RFC Editor
-
Space-In-Column-Name Flagger — tool.io
Similar or alternative tools
- Field Whitespace Trimmer
Trim ECMAScript boundary whitespace from every decoded CSV cell and re-encode with minimal quoting and LF record endings; interior whitespace is preserved.
- Header Row Detection Heuristic
Flag a possible header when its labels are unique and nonempty and at least half of columns have text labels above consistently numeric values; this is an explicit heuristic.