u/BeginningAlternative Data Parser in Python

data.txt

bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2)bla bla bla bla and more bla bla - last name, first name day time (activity 1; activity 2; activity 3)

parse.py

#Note: This file should run in the same directory as a data.txt file which contains the unformatted data.
#It will export a .csv in the same directory. Tested in Python 2.7.
#If you do not want to export a field then delete it from the header and the data_item dictionary.
import re
import csv

headers = ['Data','Last Name', 'First Name', 'Day', 'Time', 'A1', 'A2', 'A3']
data_collection = []

raw_data = open('data.txt', 'r').read()
first_pass = raw_data.split(')')

for data_item_whole in first_pass:
    if data_item_whole == '':
        break
    
    data_chunk_pass = data_item_whole.split(' - ',1)
    data_chunk = data_chunk_pass[0]

    last_name_pass = data_chunk_pass[1].split(', ')
    last_name = last_name_pass[0]

    first_name_pass = last_name_pass[1]
    first_name =  re.split('day|Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday',last_name_pass[1])[0].strip()
    
    day_pass = last_name_pass[1].replace(first_name+' ','') #remove name we found
    day = day_pass.split(' ',1)[0]

    time_pass = day_pass.replace(day+' ', '')
    time = time_pass.split(' ',1)[0]

    activities = time_pass.replace(time+' ', '').replace('(','').split(';')

    data_item = {
        'Data': data_chunk,
        'Last Name': last_name,
        'First Name': first_name,
        'Day': day,
        'Time': time,
        'A1': activities[0] if 0 < len(activities) else '',
        'A2': activities[1] if 1 < len(activities) else '',
        'A3': activities[2] if 2 < len(activities) else '',
        }
    
    data_collection.append(data_item)
   
with open('export.csv', 'wb') as output_file:
    dict_writer = csv.DictWriter(output_file, headers)
    dict_writer.writeheader()
    dict_writer.writerows(data_collection)