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Append or Post? Which to use when updating live data

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    Append or Post? Which to use when updating live data

    I am in the process of updating my Products table and have been successful in using the Append operation to add records by way of an imported DBF table created using a CSV import from an Excel file.

    Now I am wondering how I will keep the records updated when I have a record for a product that already exists in the table. For instance, I have Product_Number "1234" in the Products table at a Dealer_Cost of $50 and a Retail_Price of $100. Next year my Dealer_Cost goes up 10% and my Retail Price changes to $110. How do I update the records without over-writing all the fields that have not changes, such as Margin, Description, Supplier_ID, etc.?

    I will have another updated price list provided in Excel format and I can get that into a CSV format for importing.

    Do I use the same Append operation as I am using now to populate the table? Or would this best be done using a Post operation? I would like to use the built-in operations in Alpha Five v9 as I am not a programmer and just use the menus and genies. Can this be done or do I need to learn to write a script?

    Thanks for any guidance you can give.

    Sean

    #2
    Re: Append or Post? Which to use when updating live data

    Hi Sean,
    Or would this best be done using a Post operation?
    You got it in one.

    You should be able to import from the Excel file directly into a tmp table which you would of Zaped before the import. You can then post into the Products table.
    Regards
    Keith Hubert
    Alpha Guild Member
    London.
    KHDB Management Systems
    Skype = keith.hubert


    For your day-to-day Needs, you Need an Alpha Database!

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Append or Post? Which to use when updating live data

      a post will work if there no new records

      an append (replace existing, add unique) will handle both situations.
      Al Buchholz
      Bookwood Systems, LTD
      Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

      Occam's Razor - KISS
      Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
      Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
      When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
      "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
      Albert Einstein

      http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Append or Post? Which to use when updating live data

        Okay, thanks. I think I will experiment and see what happens. I noticed that some of the records I looked at today after appending still had some data from a previous session.

        I thought the append was going to replace the data when it found a duplicate. But maybe it only changes the data in the fields as selected at the time of making the operation with the genie? In other words, if I don't have a field selected in the transaction table nothing will happen to that field?

        Sean

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Append or Post? Which to use when updating live data

          Originally posted by seaken64 View Post
          Okay, thanks. I think I will experiment and see what happens. I noticed that some of the records I looked at today after appending still had some data from a previous session.

          I thought the append was going to replace the data when it found a duplicate. But maybe it only changes the data in the fields as selected at the time of making the operation with the genie? In other words, if I don't have a field selected in the transaction table nothing will happen to that field?

          Sean
          The append will only replace the fields that you have designated to be replaced.... why would you want it any other way?? ;)

          You can replace all of the fields if you list all of them..
          Al Buchholz
          Bookwood Systems, LTD
          Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

          Occam's Razor - KISS
          Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
          Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
          When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
          "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
          Albert Einstein

          http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Append or Post? Which to use when updating live data

            Al said ....

            The append will only replace the fields that you have designated to be replaced.... why would you want it any other way??

            You can replace all of the fields if you list all of them..


            Great! I didn't understand how Append worked. I thought it was going to replace the entire record. This idea of replacing the data only at the field level is good news for me. Now I can see what I need to do to update my records.

            Thanks again,
            Sean

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Append or Post? Which to use when updating live data

              I must have misunderstood the difference between Append and Post.

              To me Append means Add New Records to a table with values from another table. Post means change the value in selected field/s and selected records, using a value from another table that has got a common value to link with.

              Please correct me if I'm wrong.
              Regards
              Keith Hubert
              Alpha Guild Member
              London.
              KHDB Management Systems
              Skype = keith.hubert


              For your day-to-day Needs, you Need an Alpha Database!

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Append or Post? Which to use when updating live data

                Keith

                You've understated the abilities of append.

                See attached image for the append options that extend the functionality beyond what you thought...
                Attached Files
                Al Buchholz
                Bookwood Systems, LTD
                Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

                Occam's Razor - KISS
                Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
                Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
                When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
                "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
                Albert Einstein

                http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Append or Post? Which to use when updating live data

                  Thanks Al,

                  I certainly can make use of that last one.
                  Regards
                  Keith Hubert
                  Alpha Guild Member
                  London.
                  KHDB Management Systems
                  Skype = keith.hubert


                  For your day-to-day Needs, you Need an Alpha Database!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Append or Post? Which to use when updating live data

                    Keith

                    That feature was one of the main reasons I found and stayed with Alpha....
                    Al Buchholz
                    Bookwood Systems, LTD
                    Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

                    Occam's Razor - KISS
                    Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
                    Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
                    When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
                    "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
                    Albert Einstein

                    http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

                    Comment

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