--- loncom/interface/loncommon.pm	2007/08/11 14:22:14	1.560
+++ loncom/interface/loncommon.pm	2007/08/11 15:18:24	1.561
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network with CAPA
 # a pile of common routines
 #
-# $Id: loncommon.pm,v 1.560 2007/08/11 14:22:14 www Exp $
+# $Id: loncommon.pm,v 1.561 2007/08/11 15:18:24 www Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -5994,28 +5994,50 @@ sub record_sep {
             $i++;
         }
     } else {
-        my @allfields;
+        my $separator=',';
         if ($env{'form.upfiletype'} eq 'semisv') {
-            @allfields=split(/\s*;\s*/,$record,-1);
-        } else {
-            @allfields=split(/\s*\,\s*/,$record,-1);
+            $separator=';';
         }
         my $i=0;
-        my $j;
-        for ($j=0;$j<=$#allfields;$j++) {
-            my $field=$allfields[$j];
-            if ($field=~/^\s*(\"|\')/) {
-		my $delimiter=$1;
-                while (($field!~/$delimiter$/) && ($j<$#allfields)) {
-		    $j++;
-		    $field.=','.$allfields[$j];
-		}
-                $field=~s/^\s*$delimiter//;
-                $field=~s/$delimiter\s*$//;
-            }
-            $components{&takeleft($i)}=$field;
-	    $i++;
+# the character we are looking for to indicate the end of a quote or a record 
+        my $looking_for=$separator;
+# do not add the characters to the fields
+        my $ignore=0;
+# we just encountered a separator (or the beginning of the record)
+        my $just_found_separator=1;
+# store the field we are working on here
+        my $field='';
+# work our way through all characters in record
+        foreach my $character ($record=~/(.)/g) {
+            if ($character eq $looking_for) {
+               if ($character ne $separator) {
+# Found the end of a quote, again looking for separator
+                  $looking_for=$separator;
+                  $ignore=1;
+               } else {
+# Found a separator, store away what we got
+                  $components{&takeleft($i)}=$field;
+	          $i++;
+                  $just_found_separator=1;
+                  $ignore=0;
+                  $field='';
+               }
+               next;
+            }
+# single or double quotation marks after a separator indicate beginning of a quote
+# we are now looking for the end of the quote and need to ignore separators
+            if ((($character eq '"') || ($character eq "'")) && ($just_found_separator))  {
+               $looking_for=$character;
+               next;
+            }
+# ignore would be true after we reached the end of a quote
+            if ($ignore) { next; }
+            if (($just_found_separator) && ($character=~/\s/)) { next; }
+            $field.=$character;
+            $just_found_separator=0; 
         }
+# catch the very last entry, since we never encountered the separator
+        $components{&takeleft($i)}=$field;
     }
     return %components;
 }