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"Link" to external text file(s)?

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    "Link" to external text file(s)?

    I currently have 23 different data extracts that I manage for enterprise reporting. These files are output from different corporate systems, like Business Objects, Cognos, MS Reporting Services, custom in-house legacy PowerBuilder apps, etc. The fortunate, common thread is that I've been able to get my providers or the apps published in various delimited text formats to a common file server and directory. They are on different schedules for publishing and are typically just file "over-writes," replacing the entire content each time, rather than data appends.

    I would like to build an A5 front-end to expose the data in these files to my customers for reporting and analysis. I would prefer to have a separate back-end application that manages the data. However, due to their varying frequency of updates, I don't want to import them, rather just link to the files knowing their defined formats, create various sets for reports, and then provide various reports and functionality through forms and coding.

    The problem is, I cannot find the ability to "link" to a text file with A5v9.

    I've searched the application help, online help, and this forum. Maybe my terminology is incorrect, as is often the case with different but similar applications/products. I've searched for various incantations of the terms "link", "delimited", "text", "external", and "file".

    Why don't I just import them? The text files are natively smaller in size. I see no need to import them as tables and create dbfs, and then have to keep or delete the text files each time. It's extra time and processing, plus requires more logic in case the latest replacement file never happened to appear (some sort of error). Yes, processing speed on native A5 or dbf files may be faster, so this may be a requirement later, as my data volumes grow, but for now, I just want to link and not have to worry about the associated logic.

    Setting up a DSN with a text driver only seems to fix the local machine issue, would have to be replicated for each text file, and would also have to be replicated on each end-user's system.

    Thanks for any help in search terminology or a solution.

    Brent

    #2
    Re: "Link" to external text file(s)?

    Brent,

    I am not sure what I do would help you. I have txt files for wording in letters and reports I send. The user can change them to their own liking by opening "from Alpha" Notepad and rewsaving their changes. These files are included in reports and letters later by opening them into the report, letter, etc.

    If this is what you want?

    Actually, it so easy. I defined a var in the report called "fillup" as session and character then on init of report, fillup = file.to_string("c:\ups55\birddog.txt")

    You would use your own pathing and file names. I just realized, I need to make this portable too.

    I included it in a rtf field as a variable and it works great.

    Hope it helps.


    .
    Dave Mason
    [email protected]
    Skype is dave.mason46

    Comment


      #3
      Re: "Link" to external text file(s)?

      Thanks for the assistance and tip, Dave. Unfortunately, this isn't the intended path or solution, but it's a good tip I could use in another application.

      Just to clarify for others that may read this...I have over twenty different delimited text files as data files like *.csv, *.tab, *.txt, etc. I'd like to use A5 to manage them as though they were data tables, but keep them in their native text format on the server and NOT import them. (In MS Access, these are called linked tables and retain their native format, are not converted or imported...sorry, I finally had to use the name of the other application to illustrate.)

      Importing them just creates more data files, in this case, dbfs. The text files should then be deleted. Also, the schedules for the text-based data files vary greatly, thus importing schedules would have to be adjusted, plus logic implemented in case of file staging errors. If not deleted, these text files would just mean duplication of data and wasted space. Additionally, if the files weren't updated, processing them as though they were just wastes time and processing.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: "Link" to external text file(s)?

        Brent,

        The same thing can be done on a form. With a little code, the text could be changed and saved back to the txt file. I have not checked a csv file yet. I think it would be harder, not sure.

        see pic

        It seems if they can be brought in as a var, you could do most anything. Am I wrong??


        .
        Dave Mason
        [email protected]
        Skype is dave.mason46

        Comment


          #5
          Re: "Link" to external text file(s)?

          Dave, you're showing how to display the formatted text report. He wants to link to an external delimited text file in the same way he can link to a table in an external SQL database. Presumably he doesn't want to have to do the coding required to parse each line in the delimited text file and then read each element back into variables for a form or report.
          -- tom

          Comment


            #6
            Re: "Link" to external text file(s)?

            tom,

            Got any idea how to do that? I have never linked a text/csv file to a set/table/db before.

            All I am trying to do is give a way to bring it to alpha while hoping someone that knows more can figure it out.

            I do a csv file almost everyday. But, I import it to a table then append it to another table. Once done the import table and the csv are deleted. All the old records that are not needed from the final table are deleted before I bring the new data in.

            With the variable, it would be possible to put the output into a memo field and parse it from there?

            As far as the varying dates of the files, that can be handled by the file dates with functions within Alpha.

            Am I not right?
            .
            Dave Mason
            [email protected]
            Skype is dave.mason46

            Comment


              #7
              Re: "Link" to external text file(s)?

              Dave, I don't know of a way to do what Brent wants in the manner he wants. If it were me I'd be looking to either (a) import the CSV into a table and work with it there; or (b) read through the CSV, parse the lines into an array of variables, and then work with them there.

              Comment


                #8
                Re: "Link" to external text file(s)?

                Well, shucks.

                I guess I'll have to resort to the "long" way of implementing this...customized scheduling, adding logic to evaluate if data file exists, importing, and deleting the text files.

                I'm not arguing...this is probably the "best" method and provides better performance, just some extra work.

                Thanks for the ideas and clarification.

                Brent

                Comment

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