diff --git a/LDP/lampadas/database/tables/common.input b/LDP/lampadas/database/tables/common.input
index 436d849a..a2a98070 100755
--- a/LDP/lampadas/database/tables/common.input
+++ b/LDP/lampadas/database/tables/common.input
@@ -1,2 +1,19 @@
 #!/bin/sed -f
+
+# escape single unprotected quotes with a backslash
 s#\([^\\']\)'\([^']\)#\1''\2#g
+
+# trim leading white space
+s#^[[:space:]]*##
+
+# trim trailing white space
+s#[[:space:]]*$##
+
+# removing empty lines
+/^$/d
+
+# join a trailing [ with the next line
+/\[$/ {
+  N
+  s#\[[[:space:]]*#[#
+}