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spreadsheet import field details

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    spreadsheet import field details

    I am creating an import script for csv spreadsheet files. I used the operations genie to make an import operation and converted it to xbasic. The section of the code ( in pic ) that has the field names and field detail..... how does alpha derive those from the file? Are there some extracting functions alpha uses to capture those details of the spreadsheet file for the import script?

    I am trying to be able to select a csv file, and have the file automatically generated into a temporary table without the user having to create an import operation for each file. The files will be varied in the number of fields and field types, so I need to make this operate dynamically. Any assistance would be appreciated.
    Attached Files
    Last edited by john michaels; 05-07-2013, 05:49 PM.
    John Michaels
    "The only thing needed for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing" - great quote but probably not Sir Edmund Burke

    #2
    Re: spreadsheet import field details

    how does alpha derive those from the file?
    It reads the first line of the csv to determine column/field names and examines the values in the column beneath to make best guesses as to data types, width, and decimal places for numbers.
    There can be only one.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: spreadsheet import field details

      Hello Stan,
      Thank you for responding. I did think of that as an alternative, but I guess I believed that there must exist some more ingenious, sophisticated, and elegant method. OK, then. I very much appreciate the confirmation.


      John
      John Michaels
      "The only thing needed for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing" - great quote but probably not Sir Edmund Burke

      Comment


        #4
        Re: spreadsheet import field details

        Hi John and welcome to the board.

        How many different types of csv files will there be? If you only have a few different formats you could make saved imports for each of them from which the user makes his selection. Or you could have the user open the files with Excel and save them in dbase format to a temporary dbf that could then be appended to the appropriate table in the database.
        Robin

        Discernment is not needed in things that differ, but in those things that appear to be the same. - Miles Sanford

        Comment


          #5
          Re: spreadsheet import field details

          Hi Robin,
          Thanks for your reply, and welcome. There will be many different spreadsheet files delivered to our company. These come from customers giving us information about their stores and certain store contents. The number of records will vary from a dozen to maybe a few thousand records. The data provided, and therefore the fields in the spreadsheet, will vary, depending what they decide to give us. My approach is to map the data fields of the import data and get the data into a temp table, then set up a manual matching of the import data fields against my Master table fields, and then run an import script that acquires the temp table data to my Master tables. It is a bit complex but very doable. The barrier is mapping the fields of the import data as to field names and type. Right now I am using Stan's suggestions and working on a loop comparing the fields and values of not just the first record in the import but maybe the first 5-10, because some of the fields are empty (null), and therefore not sure what might be the field type until it hits a record with a value in the field. Laborious for sure, but until a new lightbulb shines, this is my direction.
          John Michaels
          "The only thing needed for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing" - great quote but probably not Sir Edmund Burke

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