Rename CSV header using command line tools

Question

Given a CSV file,

h1 h2 h3
a  b  c
z  x  b

how to rename the first header to One and the third header to Three using command line tools, namely

One h2 Three
a   b  c
z   x  b

Solution 1

This should do it:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11145270/bash-replace-an-entire-line-in-a-text-file

The header should just be the first line in your file, so if you use N = 1, and rewrite the line with the desired headers, so:

sed -i '1s/.*/One, h2, Three/' file.csv

will do it

Solution 2

Sed has the "change" command c to replace the whole current line:

sed -i '1c\One h2 Three' file.csv

This works with GNU sed. Others seds might need the text to be entered on a separate line:

sed -i '1c\
One h2 Three' file.csv

Solution 3

Line-based solutions (such as sed-based) won't work for multiline csv headers.

So you need something to understand csv format.

For example with csvtool (ocaml):

echo 'My,New,Header'      > output.csv
csvtool drop 1 input.csv >> output.csv

Comments

[Leo Chapiro]

If you are familiar with VBScript you can do it easy: read the file, call Replace() - ready!

[Setekh]

Let's not reinvent the wheel here, it is something that is done so many times with solutions in pure BAT, VBS, Powershell.. etc. CSV is a text file so just google for 'file text replace in bat'.

[Setekh]

Add that this is a *nix solution ;)

[sean read]

what is a nix solution?

[sean read]

oh right, I get it now... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix-like

[adius]

This is incorrect, as the CSV header can span multiple lines.

[peterh]

Welcome on the SU! What it does? And how?

[MMM]

Welcome to Super User! Generally, answers are much more helpful if they include an explanation of what the code is intended to do, and why that solves the problem without introducing others.