[redhead]

hmm.... thats odd:

#!/usr/bin/python
import re             
returnline = []
f = open("List", "r") 
for line in f.readlines(): 
    returnline.append(re.compile('( |\t)').sub(',', line[0:-1]))
for item in returnline:
    print item

> ./test.py
NUM,|FIRSTNAME|,SURNAME,|course,|
------------------------------------------
12400,ERIC,RONNEY,CS
------------------------------------------
12500,MICHAEL,OWEN,CS
------------------------------------------
12600,SCOT,MAN,CS
------------------------------------------
12700,GEOGE,YO,IT
------------------------------------------