def write_records(records, properties=None):
"""This method takes a list of named tuple records and a properties file and
produces an output file containing the records. The properties that are necessary
are: field_names, and either field_start_positions or a field_separator.
Optionally, an output file should be specified.
"""
try:
file_name = properties['output_file'][0]
except:
file_name = get_name(records[0]) + '_' + get_timestamp()
try:
fields = properties['field_names']
except:
fields = records[0]._fields
try:
fields = zip(fields, properties['field_start_positions'],
properties['field_end_positions'], properties['field_justify'])
write_fixed_length_strings(file_name, records, fields)
except:
print 'Trying to write records as delimited strings.'
delimiter = translate_delimiter(properties['field_separator'][0])
print delimiter, ' (delimiter)'
write_delimited_strings(file_name, delimiter, records, fields)
return True
