It simply does NOT work no matter what format... period.
-
-
RE: Why wont A5 do import export?
Jeff,
Why not post a working model here, showing us what you're attempting? Maybe we can offer some specific suggestions.
-- tom -
RE: Why wont A5 do import export?
I don't know, maybe your fight is with the A5 genies, but it can't possibly be with A5 itself.
I don't do that much importing, but when I've needed to I've always been able to do it. I follow one rule which is to import first to a temp table then append to the final table.
As for exporting, we do lots of that. We use the tbl.export() method for straightforward exports not involving memo fields (which truncate after 255 characters in a regular export) or create the export file in its entirety via xbasic where we need to export memo field data. The script for the latter is not that difficult.
In both import and export I'd say that A5 is very flexible.
FinianFinian
Comment
-
RE: Why wont A5 do import export?
Sorry,... I should have been more specific.. am frustrated to the point of giving filemaker a try..lol
All I want to do is export a table to a csv file... then import it back into an existing table. Should be an absolute no-brainer just using the defaults. But A5 fails miserably. It cant use its own exported file...
The problem seems to be if you have a one-character field with a name thats more than one-character.. then yer screwed.
I dont know... at this point all my hard work is down the crapper if I cant get the blasted thing to perform. I need to make changes to my customers table structure so I need an export/import to save the data. Or mebbe someone has a better plan... I hope.Comment
-
RE: Why wont A5 do import export?
jeff:
I do many exports and imports with alpha. no problems.
You state you want to export to csv and then import to another DBf. Why not append to the other dbf. no export or import needed.
I hope this helps.
bob adlerComment
-
RE: Why wont A5 do import export?
Here is the table... I just want to export it... add a few fields to the table... then import the data back into the table... should be really easy.Comment
-
RE: Why wont A5 do import export?
I dont know... at this point all my hard work is down the crapper if I cant get the blasted thing to perform. I need to make changes to my customers table structure so I need an export/import to save the data. Or mebbe someone has a better plan... I hope.
-----------------------------------------
...Or, just create the new table and append to it.Comment
-
RE: Why wont A5 do import export?
Jeff,
I spent 30 minutes trying to do what you describe and could not succeed. the export goes fine. However, Alpha Five vers. 4.5 gave me fits trying to import the same data back into the table after its structure was changed (I added several new fields).
If it were me, I'd figure my head will stop hurting if I stop pounding it against the wall.
Why not 'copy' your data to a temp table, modify the structure of the original table, and if you need to, append the records back ? You may find that the temp table is only needed as a safety backup. The modification of the table structure may not necessitate zapping and refilling the table at all.
-- tomComment
-
RE: Why wont A5 do import export?
what do you mean "fails miserably".
i just donwloaded the sample file you just posted here and in about 3 mouse clicks i exported it to an ascii file.
obviously you must be trying to do something more complex, but are not phrasing the question here in a way that the other members can post a helpful response.
can you be more specific about exactly what you want?Comment
-
RE: Why wont A5 do import export?
Jeff,
I think the most probable problem is that the blank.dbf file is corrupt. It crashed A5 & Paradox both so I used quickview plus to look at it and saw a bunch of binary or upper-ascii chars. After a lot of screwing around I got the table open in Paradox & identified the structure. I then re-created it (blanktest.dbf) and it works fine in Alpha. I also copied your sample record into it along with 2 others, then I did this:
- exported it to 'blank-test.asc' (saved the genie operation)
- copied the table to 'blanktest_bkup.dbf'
- empied the blanktest.dbf table
- added 5 new fields (eg, additional_field_1, etc.) of 5 diff types)
- moved the new fields into different places in the seq. of the fields
- saved the changes
- ran the genie again for a saved import operation
- it returned an error msg (I failed to pay attention to selecting the correct field types when I was mapping and this was the problem as it guessed that your 'storage' and 'invoicing' fields were logical rather than chars types)
- opened the import op in design mode and corrected the field mappings/types
- it works well
So, if your blank.dbf file wasn't corrupt then maybe you hadn't mapped the field types correctly although the error msg, tho not precise, makes it pretty clear that's what the problem was.
Take a look at the attachment.
BillComment
-
RE: Why wont A5 do import export?
Sorry.. I should have said the IMPORT fails miserably....
I can export happily all day long... just cant import it . I did get one table to work, but when I applied the same procedure to the next table is when I hit the wall.
In A4 you could "map" the data, field for field and it worked wonderfully... in A5 it looks like thats what you are doing.. but it screws it up when the field has a name thats longer than the fields size... or at least thats what it looks like to me.
Or its just very possible I am making the same mistake each and every time I try an import.Comment
-
RE: Why wont A5 do import export?
Will recreate the blank.dbf... hopefully this will fix it.
I have been through the importing function so many times.. checking every little thing... it looks fine.. till I run it.. a corrupt file makes as much sense as anything else.. going to try it today...Comment
-
RE: Why wont A5 do import export?
Well... thnx for your suggestions... the import was a bomb... but the append works wonderfully...
Thanks again!Comment
-
RE: Why wont A5 do import export?
Jeff,
Well I looked at the bomb I sent you again & it still worked here. But then I got to nosing around in the saved operations and noticed that the paths are hard coded in the saved import operation. So then I moved them to a folder off of the root of my C drive (C:BlankTest) and tried to run the import and it does BOMB!! I did edit the paths in the import operation but it would NOT run - no noticable attempt, no error msg re: violated.dbf, but a little twitch when I dbl-clicked it. Boom!
I redid the demo in there with the following changes:
- blank1.dbf is the duplicate of your table structure w/ 3 records
- blank2.dbf is the re-structured table w/ 5 additional fields of 5 types
(it's empty - no records)
- Recreated the export and import operations as so...
- Blank1_Export is the saved operation that will export the records in blank1.dbf to a file named 'Blank1_Exported_Records.asc'
- Blank2_Import is the saved operation that will import the records from the 'Blank1_Exported_Records.asc' file back into blank2.dbf.
Try putting the demo files in the attached zip into the very same directory that I used (C:BlankTest) and let me know what happens. At my end it's working well - I ran the import op. followed by zapping the blank2.dbf 5 times with no failures.Comment
-
RE: Why wont A5 do import export?
That ones a winner!
THNX!Comment
Comment