2 really great things in A5. And my IMPORT Question

[SMARTII]

1. When you set a field as "Value of field must be unique" A5 ignores the fact that a field is blank and not count against a unique value. ie you can have many empties on a unique field.
This was one of the short comings of my old application platform. It counted every field as unique even when it was blank.
Prior to that I used BTrieve and it allowed you to (Yes or No) the count for null value.

2. Ok, here is the other:
I always had a real straight forward import routine...simply:
file-import-import file-(assumes into the active table)-fields to import. Bingo, done.
Gives notice if duplicate attempted on a field with unique field property that you could silence or not.
----------
I found essentially the same thing in A5:) after looking around for all the import methods it had. This was the last one to be found:

 
FUNCTION QuikImport AS C (val_to_import as C)
[B]data = <<%a%[/B]
[B]R5T0100[/B]
[B]R5T0101[/B]
[B]R5T0102[/B]
[B]R5T0103[/B]
[B]R5T0004[/B]
[B]R5T0105[/B]
[B]%a%[/B]
'----------------- Here's the guts:
t = table.open("TARGET_TBL")
t.populate_from_string("TABLE_FLD", crlf(), data)
t.close()   
'----------------- Really simple and FAST!
END FUNCTION

(This could either be a Function or just a XB script.) And you can have whole groups of fields as long as they were on the same line and separated by (,).
Anyway, i would like to know HOW I can populate the
data = <<%a%
.....
%a%

data items from a calculation result on the fly so to speak.
ie. how to populate the data items straight from a calculation. Then call the function.
-------------
Right now I write them to an ascii file then import them in a much longer routine that creates temp tables and does checks that I do not need in this operation.
I was thinking of having the function called for every calc result and then t.close() after all the imports were done....as many as 150 at a time.
Then I'd skip the
data = <<%a%
.....
%a%
and just send the result as a Function(vals_to_import as C) 150 times, then close the table.
One of the things I would like to do is report how many records were added at the end of the operation if anyone has an idea on that also?

The key item is:
<TBL>.POPULATE_FROM_STRING( Record_Format as C, Record_Separator as C, Data as C )
Argument ********* Description
Record_Format: A comma delimited list of field names.
Record_Separator: The character or expression that separates records in the Data field.
Data: Data to place into the table.

[Keith Hubert]

Re: 2 really great things in A5. And my IMPORT Question

Hi Tom,

One of the things I would like to do is report how many records were added at the end of the operation if anyone has an idea on that also?

I would suggest you have a separate Info table to store that data, along with the date and type of operation.

[SMARTII]

Re: 2 really great things in A5. And my IMPORT Question

Hi Tom,

I would suggest you have a separate Info table to store that data, along with the date and type of operation.

Thanks,
This table can be thought of as a "inventory of consumables". We fill it with say "unique numbered stickers" then they are automatically issued sequentially into new records in a main table as they are created/completed.
Once that happens, they are flagged in the inventory as "Used", and what main data record# received that "sticker" and who the user was.
This inventory of "Used" is periodically purged after about 3 months since the main data record now stores it....indefinitely.
Then more inventory is added, and so on. So it grows to maybe 200 recs. then dwindles to 25 or so, then refilled.
The refills are not issued until a report from the main data table accounts for all the issued stickers in sequence, usually for each 10 day period.
From time to time the user wants a quick account of the still available stickers, so I just give a record count of stickers that are not flagged from a button on push.
Anyway, my main problem is the best way to add those sticker numbers.
The user puts in the first# of the pack on a screen form, then the last#.
The application figures how many bet. those numbers, and inserts them into the inventory file at one rec. for each sticker#.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: 2 really great things in A5. And my IMPORT Question

Anyway, my main problem is the best way to add those sticker numbers.
The user puts in the first# of the pack on a screen form, then the last#.
The application figures how many bet. those numbers, and inserts them into the inventory file at one rec. for each sticker#.

tbl = table.open("tabletoholdstickernumbers")
for i = first# to last#
     tbl.enter_begin()
     tbl.somefieldholdingthestickernumber = i
     tbl.enter_end(.T.)
next i 
tbl.close()

[SMARTII]

Re: 2 really great things in A5. And my IMPORT Question

Thanks Stan,
That did it!
I had to add a few more validations to the script to prevent duplications, it is very fast!
Removed a bunch of code also.

One last problem:
In User Input data entry field I have:
Properties->format->UPPERCASE
So, ONDEPART it does show UPPERCASE even when entered as lowercase.
I assumed that the conversion was actual and not just in appearance.
Anyway, when I insert the user's input into the table it reverts to lower case.
Is there a way to make the vValue be truly UPPERCASE and insert into the table that way?

Or must I do this thru the table's Field Rules?
I already have the Field Rules->Transformation->UPPER set but no effect.
Or better to do it thru the Xb code before inserting it into the table Fld?

[Keith Hubert]

Re: 2 really great things in A5. And my IMPORT Question

Hi Tom,

Or better to do it thru the Xb code before inserting it into the table Fld?

Yes, with the UPPER() function.

[SMARTII]

Re: 2 really great things in A5. And my IMPORT Question

Thanks,
Upper() it is.

Hi Tom,

Yes, with the UPPER() function.