How do you export an image field

[Andrew Hastings]

Hello,

I was wondering if there is anyway to export a jpeg image field. I have an Export button which exports my table to an Excel file. Unfortunately when it does this the Image field becomes text as well.

I have an import button which reads in the exported excel file. However because the image field was saved as text it doesn't get imported.

The purpose behind the export and import is so that I can use the same database program on my laptop as on my desktop and merge the records. Please note that the import and export buttons XBasic code was taken from an Export and an Import operation.

Is there perhaps another way to merge databases, so that all of the fields will be merged not just the text fields?

Thanks,
Andrew Hastings

[AaronBBrown]

RE: How do you export an image field

JPEG data is stored in the table as uuencoded text and that is what you are seeing. I can give you a number of ways to write that data to disk. Perhaps you can then use an excel macro to display it.

[Andrew Hastings]

RE: How do you export an image field

Hi Aaron,

Since Jpeg information is stored as uuencoded text could it be that I am not allowing for enough characters on the export and import commands to capture the entire picture and that is why it doesn't get imported?

Thank you for explaining how the image is stored. I had no idea that it was stored like that.

Thanks again!
Andrew

[Andrew Hastings]

RE: How do you export an image field

I tried increasing the size of the character field I'm importing to the max, 100. However, I still cannot get the image file to import.

I've copied the Xbasic code form the export and import button below.

Export Button (onPush):

xbasic_code = UI_YES_SELECTED then
end
end if
end if
'Fields from one-many child tables have been selected for export. This flag controls
'whether A5 exports just one instance of each parent record, or one parent record for each
'one-many child record.
export.fetch_parent = .f.

table.reset("kappa_set1.set")
a_tbl = table.current()

DIM a5_operation_order as C
a5_operation_order = ""
query.order = a5_operation_order
DIM a5_operation_filter as C
a5_operation_filter = ".T."
query.filter = a5_operation_filter
query.options = "I"
query.Description = "Temporary Query"
i_indx = a_tbl.query_create()

export.type = 4
export.names = .T.
export.file = export_filename
export.options = ""
export.field_sep = ""
export.record_sep = ""
export.fields = 8
export.field1 = "kappa->entry_num"
export.field2 = "kappa->date_added"
export.field3 = "kappa->subject"
export.field4 = "kappa->keywords"
export.field5 = "kappa->description"
export.field6 = "kappa->phone_num"
export.field7 = "kappa->image"
export.field8 = "kappa->url"


'Prompt for confirmation before running the Operation.......
dim rec_count as n
rec_count = a5_get_records_in_query("kappa_set1.set",a5_operation_filter)
message_text = rec_count + " record(s) will be exported from 'kappa_set1.set', to '"+export_filename+"'."+crlf(2)+ "OK to proceed?"
operation_result=ui_msg_box("Export Operation",message_text,UI_OK_CANCEL+ UI_FIRST_BUTTON_DEFAULT+ UI_INFORMATION_SYMBOL)
If operation_result ui_ok_selected then
end
end if

a_tbl.export()

'Display a dialog box showing the results of the Operation
a5_export_op_result(a_records_processed, export_filename)


%code%

evaluate_template_private(xbasic_code)

Import Button (onPush):


temporary_import_table = file.temp_path_get()+ "kappa_temp_table.dbf"
import_destination_table = "kappa"

import_filename = ui_get_file("File to Import", "Excel (*.xls)","kappa.xls","X")

if file.exists(import_filename) = .f. then
ui_msg_box("Error","File to import not found: '"+import_filename+"'.",ui_stop_symbol)
end
end if

import.type = 3
import.names = "use"
import.file = import_filename
import.db = temporary_import_table
import.skip_lines = 0
import.skip_bytes = 0
import.field_sep = ""
import.record_sep = ""
import.text_qualifier = ""
import.record_len = 10954
import.rem_blanks = .F.
import.escape_newlines = .F.
import.fields = 8
import.field1 = "entry_num,n,0,4,0"
import.field2 = "date_added,d,1,8,0"
import.field3 = "subject,c,2,69,0"
import.field4 = "keywords,m,3,10,0"
import.field5 = "description,m,4,10,0"
import.field6 = "phone_num,c,5,15,0"
import.field7 = "image,c,6,100,0"
import.field8 = "url,c,7,100,0"
import()

'Prompt for confirmation before appending the records that were imported into the temporary table.......
dim rec_count as n
rec_count = a5_get_records_in_query(temporary_import_table, ".t.")
message_text = "Up to " + rec_count + " record(s) will be imported into '"+import_destination_table+"'."+crlf(2)+ "OK to proceed?"
operation_result=ui_msg_box("Import Operation",message_text,UI_OK_CANCEL+ UI_FIRST_BUTTON_DEFAULT+ UI_INFORMATION_SYMBOL)
If operation_result ui_ok_selected then
end
end if

a_tbl = table.open(import_destination_table)
append.t_db = temporary_import_table
append.m_key = "SUBJECT" '-PHONE_NUM
append.t_key = "SUBJECT" '-PHONE_NUM
append.m_filter = ""
append.t_filter = ""
append.type = "Unique only"
append.m_count = 8
append.m_field1 = "ENTRY_NUM"
append.m_exp1 = "@kappa_temp_table->ENTRY_NUM"
append.m_field2 = "DATE_ADDED"
append.m_exp2 = "@kappa_temp_table->DATE_ADDED"
append.m_field3 = "SUBJECT"
append.m_exp3 = "@kappa_temp_table->SUBJECT"
append.m_field4 = "KEYWORDS"
append.m_exp4 = "@kappa_temp_table->KEYWORDS"
append.m_field5 = "DESCRIPTION"
append.m_exp5 = "@kappa_temp_table->DESCRIPTION"
append.m_field6 = "PHONE_NUM"
append.m_exp6 = "@kappa_temp_table->PHONE_NUM"
append.m_field7 = "IMAGE"
append.m_exp7 = "@kappa_temp_table->IMAGE"
append.m_field8 = "URL"
append.m_exp8 = "@kappa_temp_table->URL"
append.t_count = 0
a_tbl.append()

a_tbl.close()

ui_msg_box("Import Results","Records Read: "+a_records_total+" Records Imported: "+a_records_processed,0)

'In case the destination table is not already in the Database, add it...
file_add_to_db(table.filename_get(import_destination_table))
'If the Operation is run from within a Form or Browse, then refresh the window
if is_object(topparent.this) then
if topparent.Class() = "form" .or. topparent.class() = "browse" then
topparent.Refresh_layout()
end if
end if

Thank you,
Andrew Hastings

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: How do you export an image field

Andrew

A bitmap is actually saved in a memo file format and can not be exported as character. I amm not sure if there is any method to export memo data.

Jerry

[Lenny Forziati]

RE: How do you export an image field

Andrew,

A uuencoded version of even a small image file is well over 100 characters. I doubt that you'll be able to store them directly in your spreadsheet.

Here's a little Interactive Window session to demonstarte:

f=file.open("C:\WINDOWS\Zapotec.bmp",FILE_RW_SHARED)
raw_image = f.readb(f.bytes_get())
f.close()
uu_image = uuencode(raw_image)
?len(uu_image)
= 13333.000000

But what has me really confused is if you have Alpha Five on both your laptop and desktop systems, why are you converting to Excel at all just to transfer data between the two?

-Lenny

[Andrew Hastings]

RE: How do you export an image field

Hi Larry,

What I was trying to accomplish by exporting the databases to an Excel file was a method of combining the two, the one from my laptop and the one from my desktop. When I'm on travel I use my laptop, so it will have some entries that my desktop does not have. Vice versa for when I'm in the office. This really is an effort to have all of the data the same on both my desktop and laptop.

So I thought the easiest/only way to do this would be to export the data from one into a file. Transfer that file to the other and then import it. If there is another way to do this I'd be more than willing to give it a shot. (As this method doesn't seem to be working as well as I'd had hoped.)

Thank you,
Andrew

[Lenny Forziati]

RE: How do you export an image field

You can simply copy the DBF (and related files) for each of your tables from one computer to the next and then append unique. You could alternatively transfer the file back and forth and always work from that one file and not have to merge them.

-LENNY