diff --git a/src/caosadvancedtools/table_converter.py b/src/caosadvancedtools/table_converter.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..e10b736f1a4cfc8b4131366a510d650bc0ac47d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/caosadvancedtools/table_converter.py
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# encoding: utf-8
+#
+# ** header v3.0
+# This file is a part of the CaosDB Project.
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2019 Henrik tom Wörden
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
+# published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+# License, or (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+# GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+# along with this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+# ** end header
+import argparse
+import re
+import sys
+
+import caosdb as db
+import pandas as pd
+
+
+def from_tsv(filename, recordtype):
+ """ parses a tsv file to a list of records """
+ df = pd.read_csv(filename, sep="\t")
+
+ return from_table(df, recordtype)
+
+
+def to_tsv(filename, container):
+ df = to_table(container)
+ df.to_csv(filename, sep="\t", index=False)
+
+
+def generate_property_name(prop):
+ if prop.unit is None:
+ return prop.name
+ else:
+ return "{} [{}]".format(prop.name, prop.unit)
+
+
+def to_table(container):
+ """ creates a table from the records in a container """
+
+ if len(container) == 0:
+ raise ValueError("Container is empty")
+ properties = set()
+
+ for rec in container:
+ properties.update([generate_property_name(p)
+ for p in container[0].get_properties()])
+ df = pd.DataFrame(columns=list(properties))
+ rts = set([p.name for p in container[0].parents])
+
+ for ii, rec in enumerate(container):
+ if set([p.name for p in rec.parents]) != rts:
+ raise ValueError("Parents differ")
+
+ for p in rec.get_properties():
+
+ df.loc[ii, generate_property_name(p)] = p.value
+
+ return df
+
+
+def from_table(spreadsheet, recordtype):
+ """ parses a pandas DataFrame to a list of records """
+ records = db.Container()
+
+ for idx, row in spreadsheet.iterrows():
+ rec = db.Record()
+ rec.add_parent(name=recordtype)
+
+ for key, value in row.iteritems():
+ if (pd.notnull(value) and
+ (not isinstance(value, str) or value.strip() != "")):
+ regexp = r"(.*)\[(.*)\].*"
+ match = re.match(regexp, key)
+
+ if match is not None:
+ pname = match.group(1).strip()
+ unit = match.group(2).strip()
+ rec.add_property(name=pname, value=value, unit=unit)
+ else:
+ rec.add_property(name=key, value=value)
+ records.append(rec)
+
+ return records
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+
+ p = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+ p.add_argument("-f", "--filename", help="The excel filename")
+ p.add_argument("--auth-token")
+ arg = p.parse_args(sys.argv[1:])
+
+ db.configure_connection(auth_token=arg.auth_token)
+
+ recordtype = "Experiment"
+
+ from_tsv(arg.filename, recordtype)
diff --git a/unittests/test.tsv b/unittests/test.tsv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..714bfce2f5295b6548402982d75e4feebd688011
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unittests/test.tsv
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+temperature [*C] greeting
+3.4 tach
+4.5 hi
+ hi
+4.5
diff --git a/unittests/test_table_converter.py b/unittests/test_table_converter.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..ca90f00297b59a1ae914cc202e6b6f0e5f1e7e99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unittests/test_table_converter.py
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# encoding: utf-8
+#
+# ** header v3.0
+# This file is a part of the CaosDB Project.
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2019 Henrik tom Wörden
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
+# published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+# License, or (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+# GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+# along with this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+# ** end header
+import os
+import unittest
+from tempfile import NamedTemporaryFile
+
+import caosdb as db
+import pandas as pd
+from caosadvancedtools.table_converter import (from_table, from_tsv, to_table,
+ to_tsv)
+
+TEST_TABLE = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)),
+ "test.tsv")
+
+
+class TableTest(unittest.TestCase):
+ def test_basic(self):
+ df = pd.read_csv(TEST_TABLE, sep="\t")
+ assert isinstance(from_table(df, "Measurement"), db.Container)
+
+ def test_empty(self):
+ c = db.Container()
+ self.assertRaises(ValueError, to_table, c)
+
+ def test_different_props(self):
+ r1 = db.Record()
+ r1.add_parent("no1")
+ r1.add_property("p1")
+ r2 = db.Record()
+ r2.add_parent("no1")
+ r2.add_property("p1")
+ r2.add_property("p2")
+ c = db.Container()
+ c.extend([r1, r2])
+ to_table(c)
+
+ def test_parents(self):
+ r1 = db.Record()
+ r1.add_parent("no1")
+ r2 = db.Record()
+ r2.add_parent("no2")
+ c = db.Container()
+ c.extend([r1, r2])
+ self.assertRaises(ValueError, to_table, c)
+
+
+class FromTsvTest(unittest.TestCase):
+ def test_basic(self):
+ from_tsv(TEST_TABLE, "Measurement")
+
+
+class ToTsvTest(unittest.TestCase):
+ def test_basic(self):
+ r = db.Record()
+ r.add_property("ha", 5)
+ r.add_parent("hu")
+ c = db.Container()
+ c.append(r)
+ to_tsv(NamedTemporaryFile().name, c)
+
+
+class IntegrationTest(unittest.TestCase):
+ """ converts tsv to a container and back and compares origin with
+ result """
+ def test_backandforth(self):
+ cont = from_tsv(TEST_TABLE, "Measurement")
+ tempfile = NamedTemporaryFile(delete=False)
+ to_tsv(tempfile.name, cont)
+ with open(TEST_TABLE, "r") as no1, open(tempfile.name, "r") as no2:
+ assert no1.read() == no2.read()