The SELECT software serves as an SQL interface for text files.
I recently had the chance to use SELECT, an SQL interface to text files, and I must say, I was impressed. One of the standout features of SELECT is its ability to support a wide range of text file formats. Currently, it specifically supports the NCSA extended/combined transfer log format (access_log), but it can be easily extended to support other text file formats too.
Installing SELECT was a breeze. All that's needed is Python and pysqlite2. Most Python versions (2.5 and onwards) would include pysqlite2, making the installation process even smoother. Once installed, SELECT can be copied to any directory in your $PATH, for example, /usr/local/bin.
Using SELECT is straightforward. Simply specify the fieldlist, which is a comma-separated list of field names or the special keyword "all" that will be replaced by a star "*". The filename is specified next, followed by any SQL clauses like WHERE, GROUP BY, HAVING, LIMIT, OFFSET, and ORDER BY.
What I liked most about SELECT was its clean and intuitive output. The query results are sorted in order and grouped by specified criteria, enabling me to analyze data effectively. Additionally, SELECT's ability to automatically determine a file type and assign appropriate column names makes processing text files an absolute breeze.
Overall, I would certainly recommend SELECT to anyone looking for a powerful yet simple tool for working with text files. And with its GPL Version 3 license, you can be sure that SELECT is open-source and free to use.
Installing SELECT was a breeze. All that's needed is Python and pysqlite2. Most Python versions (2.5 and onwards) would include pysqlite2, making the installation process even smoother. Once installed, SELECT can be copied to any directory in your $PATH, for example, /usr/local/bin.
Using SELECT is straightforward. Simply specify the fieldlist, which is a comma-separated list of field names or the special keyword "all" that will be replaced by a star "*". The filename is specified next, followed by any SQL clauses like WHERE, GROUP BY, HAVING, LIMIT, OFFSET, and ORDER BY.
What I liked most about SELECT was its clean and intuitive output. The query results are sorted in order and grouped by specified criteria, enabling me to analyze data effectively. Additionally, SELECT's ability to automatically determine a file type and assign appropriate column names makes processing text files an absolute breeze.
Overall, I would certainly recommend SELECT to anyone looking for a powerful yet simple tool for working with text files. And with its GPL Version 3 license, you can be sure that SELECT is open-source and free to use.
What's New
Version 0.1: N/A