To script or not to script...
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I have an third party application that will be processing CSV files and pushing data to a data store. However, due to limitations in the application, the CSV files need to be pre-processed to add some additional data, reformat some fields and split the original file into smaller files. The question is: to write a script to process it daily or to write a compiled app... Either way, the solution will be running as a scheduled task on a server. Thoughts? Opinions?
I would prefer to do it in a compiled .NET application because I'm more familiar with C# than scripting languages and, as you pointed out in a later post, memory management is (IMHO) better in .NET. However, whatever you choose to do, MAKE SURE THAT YOU WRITE TESTS FOR IT so that eight months down the line you can catch any bugs that the "tiny little small change" that you need to do might introduce.
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Started with the scripted solution because it's quick and should have worked. However, despite destroying objects, there is still an issue with something not being released, but, of course, the scripting app won't tell me what it is. If scripting worked, I could edit in place and move on. Since it is causing issues, I will be moving to an app (.NET based) where I can control the environment better. And, what does one have to do with the other and this response? Prefer the simple and elegant, but moving to the more involved, but probably better in the long run. And.. continued to try to get scripting working after original post.
I would have said .NET from the get-go; the difference between a script and source code is one, measly compile, but the .NET will give you so many options and so much reference in the literature. Of course, sometimes you have to hack a prior script, in which case you just have to dive right in and stay with it. ;)