Formats for loading data directly into tables from docs not matching actual support

[c-git]

Hi,

I tried opening an xls file with the open command and got garbled output. I checked the docs and saw that it was supposed to be able to open xls files. Looked into what "from commands" actually existed using the sample command from the open docs (See copy of command at bottom) and xls was not in the list. I'm not sure what is the best way to "correct" this mismatch.

The list I'm referring to in the docs is defined here

The following are in the docs but not supported in my version of nu (0.111.0)

• eml
• ics
• ini
• vcf
• xls

The following show when I run the command to get the "from commands" in scope but do not appear in the documentation:

• msgpack
• msgpackz

Command from Open Docs Showing List of From formats

Command

> scope commands
    | where name starts-with "from "
    | insert extension { get name | str replace -r "^from " "" | $"*.($in)" }
    | select extension name
    | rename extension command

Output for me on nu 0.111.0

╭────┬────────────┬───────────────╮
│  # │ extension  │    command    │
├────┼────────────┼───────────────┤
│  0 │ *.csv      │ from csv      │
│  1 │ *.json     │ from json     │
│  2 │ *.msgpack  │ from msgpack  │
│  3 │ *.msgpackz │ from msgpackz │
│  4 │ *.nuon     │ from nuon     │
│  5 │ *.ods      │ from ods      │
│  6 │ *.ssv      │ from ssv      │
│  7 │ *.toml     │ from toml     │
│  8 │ *.tsv      │ from tsv      │
│  9 │ *.url      │ from url      │
│ 10 │ *.xlsx     │ from xlsx     │
│ 11 │ *.xml      │ from xml      │
│ 12 │ *.yaml     │ from yaml     │
│ 13 │ *.yml      │ from yml      │
╰────┴────────────┴───────────────╯

[fdncred]

You can just type from to see what formats are supported. This is mine, with several plugins.

We use calamine to load Excel type files. If it's not working it's either a bug in our code or the upstream crate. It's hard to tell without sample data.

[c-git]

The problem is not that it doesn't work but rather it doesn't exist at all. I created 3 sample files. They are all the same content just saved in 3 different formats. The two that show in the list you sent (ods and xlsx) work but the 3rd (xls) does not as I think it gets treated as a string because there is no "from" for xls.

Sample files

Excel_97-2003.xls
Excel_2007-365.xlsx
ODF_Spreadsheet.ods

PS. My list looks very similar to yours.

I further noticed that your list (with plugins) does have some of those listed in the docs but they say plugin next to them maybe they shouldn't be in the docs or maybe linked to the relevant plugin?

[fdncred]

yup, agreed. it doesn't exist. maybe someone should add it? or is it too old of a format?

[c-git]

Well some people apparently never update which is how I found out. Downloaded a file from one of my banks today and discovered this. I'm actually ok with it not being added. I don't really need it. I already decided to work around it mostly created this to update the docs.

Edit: Rather to come to a decision on how the docs should be updated. I'd wait to see if there is actually any demand for it before anyone should investing time to add it.

[fdncred]

sorry for the docs bug.

[c-git]

No problem, these things happen hence why I reported it so we can fix it. That's what open source is all about. Do you have a direction you want to go with regard to fixing the docs?

1. Make them match what is included by default
2. Include the plugin ones and make it clear that they use plugins?

[fdncred]

make them match what is present in the from command and plugins that are in the main repo

[c-git]

Ok sounds like a plan. I will probably come back to this after I take a look at plugins. Not familiar with them yet.