Community Component 26.3
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# parse_document_csv

Parses a CSV file into documents and calls a function on each document.

This function can handle CSV files with or without a header row, but if a header row is not present you must:

- set the named parameter `use_header_row` to `false`.
- specify the document field names to use by setting the named parameter `csv_field_names`.

## Syntax

    parse_document_csv( filename, handler [, params ] )

## Arguments

Argument | Description
--- | ---
`filename` | (string) The path and file name of the CSV file to parse into documents.
`handler` | (document_handler_function) The function to call on each document that is parsed from the CSV file.
`params` | (table) A table of named parameters to configure parsing. The table maps parameter names (String) to parameter values. For information about the parameters that you can set, see the following table.

## Named Parameters

Named Parameter | Description
--- | ---
`content_field` | (string, default `DRECONTENT`) The name of the field, in the CSV file, to use as the document content.
`csv_field_names` | (string list) A list of names for the fields that exist in the CSV file. This overrides any header row, if one is present.
`reference_field` | (string, default `DREREFERENCE`) The name of the field, in the CSV file, to use as the document reference.
`use_header_row` | (boolean, default `TRUE`) Specify whether the CSV file includes a header row (whether the first row is a list of field names and not values). If this parameter is `True` and you do not set `csv_field_names`, the field names in the header row are used as the names of the document fields.

## Example

The following example parses a CSV file named `data.csv`, and calls the function `documentHandler` on each document. The values in the field `item_id` become document references and the values in the field `body` become document content.

    function documentHandler(document)
      -- do something, for example
      print(document:getReference())
    end

    ...

    parse_document_csv("./data.csv", documentHandler, {
            reference_field="item_id",
            content_field="body"
        })

The following example shows how to provide field names when there is no header row in the CSV file:

    parse_document_csv("./data_no_header.csv", documentHandler, {
            use_header_row=false,
            csv_field_names={"DREREFERENCE", "title", "modified", "DRECONTENT"}
        })

## Returns

Nil.

Copyright 2026 Open Text
Version 26.3 | Last updated July 2026

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Product: Knowledge Discovery Community Component 26.3

Topic Title: parse_document_csv