Fast (probably) splitting of csv files by number of rows (accounts for linebreaks inside cell values)

split_csv.py

#!/usr/bin/env python2
import os
import sys


def split(filehandler, delimiter=',', row_limit=700000,
          output_name_template='output_%s.csv', output_path='.', keep_headers=True):
    import csv
    reader = csv.reader(filehandler, delimiter=delimiter)
    current_piece = 1
    current_out_path = os.path.join(
        output_path,
        output_name_template % current_piece
    )
    current_out_writer = csv.writer(open(current_out_path, 'w'), delimiter=delimiter)
    current_limit = row_limit
    if keep_headers:
        headers = reader.next()
        current_out_writer.writerow(headers)
    for i, row in enumerate(reader):
        if i + 1 > current_limit:
            current_piece += 1
            current_limit = row_limit * current_piece
            current_out_path = os.path.join(
                output_path,
                output_name_template % current_piece
            )
            current_out_writer = csv.writer(open(current_out_path, 'w'), delimiter=delimiter)
            if keep_headers:
                current_out_writer.writerow(headers)
        current_out_writer.writerow(row)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    with open(sys.argv[1]) as f:
        split(f)