2 Questions on Importing files

[Selwyn Rabins]

Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

the text file is unlikely to be 102mb after it has been zipped.

you can use yousendit.com to send it to us ([email protected])

however, it is also unlikely that the issue can't be reproduced with a smaller file. try opening the file in an exitor like textpad and copy the first few lines of the file.

[DMZMAN]

Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

Tried again, N/G. Shortened all the field names to 10 characters or less, made sure there were no field names that started with a number, and filled in spaces within field names with the underscore character _ . Used the pipe symbol, | as a delimiter.

Still gives the Invalid Field Name error.

The text file is 102MB.

:(

[Selwyn Rabins]

Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

I'm attempting to import a file of approximately 150 fields, 158,000 records letting A5V10.5 create a new table. I've tried creating the file using ~ as a delimiter and as a Lotus WK1 file.

A5 locks up importing a TXT file and gives an Invalid Field Name error trying to import a WK1 even though it sees all the field names.

??????????

Please send us the file so we can test it ourselves.

[Garry Flanigan]

Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

Even if Alpha sees the field names correctly ensure that field names do not start with a number, have spaces or are longer than 10 chars. In general just use A-Z and 0-9 in field names but do not start with a number.
You can import into one table then append the records to another table if the names are a problem.
Good luck!

[DMZMAN]

Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

I'm attempting to import a file of approximately 150 fields, 158,000 records letting A5V10.5 create a new table. I've tried creating the file using ~ as a delimiter and as a Lotus WK1 file.

A5 locks up importing a TXT file and gives an Invalid Field Name error trying to import a WK1 even though it sees all the field names.

??????????

[Raymond Lyons]

Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

I need to add that what caused me to think there were "other things" not working correctly with the new import operations was a test file that apparently had some minor corruption in it, probably from it having been zipped and unzipped. That said, I for one preferred the way the old import genie worked--the old genie seems more robust in some respects than the new one......

FYI, it turns out there was no corruption in my test file--whatever the problem was with using the new import genie with my file, Selwyn is fixing it. Once it works the way it is supposed to work, there is no reason to prefer the way the old genie worked--the new one is probably the one that is more robust.

Raymond Lyons

[Raymond Lyons]

Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

....Moreover, in my brief testing [overwrite is] not the only thing not working correctly in the new the way import operations work, whether using the genie or not. I do not have time right now to put together a bug report, so I can only hope someone checks it out and submits a report.

Raymond Lyons

I need to add that what caused me to think there were "other things" not working correctly with the new import operations was a test file that apparently had some minor corruption in it, probably from it having been zipped and unzipped. That said, I for one preferred the way the old import genie worked--the old genie seems more robust in some respects than the new one.

By the way, I too always zap before importing into an existing table, assuming that I only want the new data in the table. For that matter, I do that to a temp table even when my ultimate goal is to append the new data to another table (the append goes from the temp table to my ultimate target table). There are a number of reasons for doing this, including the fact that with an append one can put in conditional expressions and/or combine fields from the imported data into one field in the target table--something you can't do with a simple import.

Raymond Lyons

[Mike Wilson]

Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

This is not an issue. No need for anything further in this line. At least not for me. I do what MikeC does, zap the table before import.

I'm just pointing out that with either import method, to get the import operation to overwrite the table requires chosing "write to new table", for the table you want to be overwritten with the import. Otherwise if you chose write to existing table, it will append, no chance for overwriting. No real issue here.

[Selwyn Rabins]

Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

The only ask overwrite I see is the combination to new table when an existing table of same name exists. There is no overwrite when import to existing table is chosen, its an append. Unless I am missing something. I included an example.

i am talking about a 'classic' import operation. your example is an alphaDAO import operation. we are comparing apples an oranges here.

[Mike Wilson]

Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

The only ask overwrite I see is the combination to new table when an existing table of same name exists. There is no overwrite when import to existing table is chosen, its an append. Unless I am missing something. I included an example.

[Selwyn Rabins]

Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

Selwyn,
That may be but "overwrite" in the operation is not qualified in the way you qualify it now. So if you think this is not a bug you need to make it clear to the user.



Surely if you are importing into a new table then there is never anything to overwrite?

if you are importing into a new table, then there COULD be something to overwrite.

say you have an existing table called 'customer.dbf'.
you define an import operation to import into a new table, and you specify that the name of the new table is 'customer.dbf'.

when you run the import, a5 will see that there is an existing table called 'customer.dbf'. if will put up a dialog to ask if you want to overwrite the existing table.

if you want to suppress this dialog from coming up, you can by checking the 'overwrite' box in the import properties.

[MikeC]

Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

Garry,
I take what Selwyn stated as the import operation will overwrite an existing table if the new table option is used and imported into a table that already exists of the same name.....nice to know the subtle difference if I am correct in my interpretation.

I have never encountered this issue due to my habit of zapping the import table prior to import or using a temp table (new table created on import) and then appending the records to the existing table.

I do see your point however.....

[Garry Flanigan]

Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

Selwyn,
That may be but "overwrite" in the operation is not qualified in the way you qualify it now. So if you think this is not a bug you need to make it clear to the user.

the overwrite option applies when you are importing into a new table. it will overwrite the existing table (if there is one) and create a new table from the imported data.

Surely if you are importing into a new table then there is never anything to overwrite?

[Selwyn Rabins]

Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

Selwyn,
I did this a couple of days ago but from memory the steps to get the error are:
Create an import operation into a new table and run the operation.
Now modify that operation to import into an existing table (the new table you created in previous step) and select overwrite data, now run operation. You will see that records are appended and existing records are not overwritten.

the overwrite option applies when you are importing into a new table. it will overwrite the existing table (if there is one) and create a new table from the imported data.

if you are importing into an existing table, then the overwrite option does not apply.

[Garry Flanigan]

Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

Selwyn,
I did this a couple of days ago but from memory the steps to get the error are:
Create an import operation into a new table and run the operation.
Now modify that operation to import into an existing table (the new table you created in previous step) and select overwrite data, now run operation. You will see that records are appended and existing records are not overwritten.