[RESOLVED] pipe delimited file that needs data modified

[cbryan374]

Here is the scenario:
I have a pipe delimited file that a vendor sends with all the information for their products. Opening in excel I see that column D is categories, and column M is manufacturers. The problem is the categories column(D) also includes manufacturer also. This presents a problem when importing the file into the ecommerce database, I end up with 1750 categories, not very practical.
The requirements are:
Search column D for values in column M
If found remove them from column D (Values in column D are separated by a ";" )
replace all ";" in column D with ";;"
Search column d for "Bulk Packaged Products;" and remove,then "Bulk

Packaged Products"and remove, then "Retail Packaged Products;" and

remove, then "Retail Packaged Products" and remove, then save file as
new name

I don't know where to even start.

Thanks in advance

[sneakyimp]

You might start by asking the provider of this file why the columns have such mixed up data? They might be able to explain some trick that you have overlooked.

If they shrug or there is no trick, then you are down to parsing the file or the data that has been imported into a db.

Perhaps you could give some examples of the d columns with manufacturer info in them?