Convert Avid ALE files to CSV

ale2csv.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
from collections import OrderedDict
from itertools import dropwhile, izip
import csv
import argparse
import os.path

argparser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
argparser.add_argument("ale_file", metavar="ALE", type=argparse.FileType(mode="rb"))
argparser.add_argument("csv_file", metavar="CSV", type=argparse.FileType(mode="wb"), nargs="?", default=None)


def main():
    args = argparser.parse_args()

    columns, data = convert_ale_to_dict(args.ale_file)
    args.ale_file.close()

    if args.csv_file is not None:
        csv_file = args.csv_file
    else:
        pre, ext = os.path.splitext(args.ale_file.name)
        csv_path = pre + ".csv"
        csv_file = open(csv_path, mode="wb")

    dump_csv(csv_file, columns, data)
    csv_file.close()


def convert_ale_to_dict(f):
    f_iter = iter(f)

    f_iter = dropwhile(lambda line: line != "Column\n", f_iter)
    column_line = next_or_none(f_iter)
    if column_line is None:
        raise Exception("No columns found")

    column_names_line = next_or_none(f_iter)
    if column_names_line is None:
        raise Exception("No values for columns")

    columns = column_names_line.replace("\n", "").split("\t")

    f_iter = dropwhile(lambda line: line != "Data\n", f_iter)
    data_line = next_or_none(f_iter)
    if data_line is None:
        raise Exception("No data found")

    data = []
    for data_values_line in f_iter:
        values = data_values_line.replace("\n", "").split("\t")
        values_dict = OrderedDict(izip(columns, values))

        data.append(values_dict)

    return (columns, data)


def dump_csv(f, columns, data):
    dw = csv.DictWriter(f, fieldnames=columns)

    dw.writeheader()

    dw.writerows(data)


def next_or_none(iter):
    try:
        return next(iter)
    except StopIteration:
        return None


if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

@simonwagner
@casausg
I updated the script to work properly in Python 3

• updated the import from itertools to only import dropwhile since izip is now just zip natively in Python 3
• changed the read and write by removing the "b" to accommodate for all strings being unicode in Python 3
• changed the dropwhile to detect regardless of which newline character to make sure source ALE files can be written by any OS.
• updated line to use zip instead of izip

...
from itertools import dropwhile
...
argparser.add_argument("ale_file", metavar="ALE", type=argparse.FileType(mode="r"))
argparser.add_argument("csv_file", metavar="CSV", type=argparse.FileType(mode="w"), nargs="?", default=None)
...
f_iter = dropwhile(lambda line: "Column" not in line.rstrip(), f_iter)
...
f_iter = dropwhile(lambda line: "Data" not in line.rstrip(), f_iter)
...
values_dict = OrderedDict(zip(columns, values))
...

Thanks Simon, this has been very useful. I've forked it and added the ability to iterate through multiple ALEs and handle Avid ALEs

Howdy y'all! I enhanced this code and have if convert stuff from Alexa camera's to CSV for Resolve! Check it out:
https://github.com/jaminmc/ale2ResolveCSV

It also runs on the latest Python