Python adding a blank/empty column. csv

Question

Hello I have a database that i am trying to make a .csv file quickly from.

my data looks like this.

Song_Name,File_Name,Artist_Name,Artist_ID
Song1,filename1,artistname,artist001
Song1,filename1,artistname,artist001
Song1,filename1,artistname,artist001
Song1,filename1,artistname,artist001

and this is how I need it to look.

Song_Name,,File_Name,Artist_Name,,Artist_ID
Song1,,filename1,artistname,,artist001
Song1,,filename1,artistname,,artist001
Song1,,filename1,artistname,,artist001
Song1,,filename1,artistname,,artist001

what would be the best way to do this. thank you.

Answer 1

You can insert blank "columns" in a csv simply by writing None or empty string ''.

For example:

with open('songs.csv', 'w', newline='') as f:
    writer = csv.writer(f)
    writer.writerow(
        ['Song_Name', None, 'File_Name', 'Artist_Name', None, 'Artist_ID']
    )  # Write headers
    # Now you iterate over your data:
    for row in data:
        writer.writerow([row['song_name'], None, row['file_name'], ...])

Your csv will correctly include the extra commas as required for your blank columns, including a trailing comma if required.

If you use a DictWriter it's even easier. You simply don't populate the dictionary with the keys you want to leave out:

with open('songs.csv', 'w', newline='') as f:
    headers = ['Song_Name', None, 'File_Name', ...]
    writer = csv.DictWriter(f, fieldnames=headers)
    writer.writeheader()
    # Now write a sample row:
    row = {'Song_Name': 'Dumb', 'Artist_Name': 'Nirvana'}
    write.writerow(row)  # Automatically skips missing keys