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    Data dump

    Hi,

    I am trying to find a way of getting data in a .TXT file, that is in column format into a table in Alpha. ...can anyone help?

    Sample of the data is:

    Lincoln Property Services Ltd
    41 Hackthorn Road, Welton, Lincoln, LN2 3LY
    Tel: 01673 866466

    Dickens Watts & Dade
    14, Ironmonger St, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 1PL
    Tel: 01780 765577

    Belvoir Lettings (Lincoln)
    450, High St, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN5 8HZ
    Tel: 01522 544999

    Belvoir Lettings (Bourne)
    25, Abbey Rd, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9EF
    Tel: 01778 421981

    #2
    a report

    Design a report as indicated. Right click on the report name in the control panel, choose save as, select plain text.
    Originally posted by wood1e
    Hi,

    I am trying to find a way of getting data in a .TXT file, that is in column format into a table in Alpha. ...can anyone help?

    Sample of the data is:

    Lincoln Property Services Ltd
    41 Hackthorn Road, Welton, Lincoln, LN2 3LY
    Tel: 01673 866466

    Dickens Watts & Dade
    14, Ironmonger St, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 1PL
    Tel: 01780 765577

    Belvoir Lettings (Lincoln)
    450, High St, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN5 8HZ
    Tel: 01522 544999

    Belvoir Lettings (Bourne)
    25, Abbey Rd, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9EF
    Tel: 01778 421981
    There can be only one.

    Comment


      #3
      Sorry what report are described?

      I have the data in a .TXT file and I want to dump it into a table in the contacts management template databse.... :)

      Comment


        #4
        dyslexic, I suppose

        My limited brain reversed what you stated you wanted. I was thinking of sending table data to a text dump.

        Are all the entries in your text file structured like the example?

        Always three lines, blank line, three more lines, blank line, etc....

        I notice that in the first three lines the "street number" of the address is not followed by a comma while the other entries seem to have a comma there. Inconsistencies like that will cause problems.

        How many fields in a table do you want to populate? Will the address go in one field or be separated?

        Alpha has many character processing functions and the file methods will allow you to open and read the text file.

        Just need to know the specifics.

        Originally posted by wood1e
        Sorry what report are described?

        I have the data in a .TXT file and I want to dump it into a table in the contacts management template databse.... :)
        There can be only one.

        Comment


          #5
          Alpha Five also has many List Processing Functions that will process a text list once it has been imported.

          Comment


            #6
            Oh right...:)

            I am used to using Access, and i have just set up a company, not wanting to spend to much money, a friend told me about Alpha...hence the reason I was working on a field for each line of data. My data in the .TXT file is not consistent...let alone the commas. :)

            BUt some addresses are as stated, but also:
            Dodgy company
            Dodgy House
            12 high Street
            Colchester
            Essex
            Co4 5rt

            So some have additional line in their address...

            As mentioned above, I could dump the data into one column(field) with this File Methods and still extract data, for letter prints (mail merge) labels adding customer notes?

            Comment


              #7
              You could import the data. line by line, into a table but that is just the beginning of your issues. If the data in the text file is not consistent then the data in the table will not be consistent.

              You will not be able to extract address information for letters or other uses if you can't specify how the information is structured in the table and where to find each piece. It won't matter what database engine you use.

              I suppose you could

              create a table with, say, ten fields (as many fields as you might find related lines)
              use xbasic to open the table and start a new record
              use the file methods to read the text file and put the first non-empty line in the first field, second non-empty line in the second, etc
              when an empty line is encountered start a new record and repeat
              Originally posted by wood1e
              Oh right...:)

              I am used to using Access, and i have just set up a company, not wanting to spend to much money, a friend told me about Alpha...hence the reason I was working on a field for each line of data. My data in the .TXT file is not consistent...let alone the commas. :)

              BUt some addresses are as stated, but also:
              Dodgy company
              Dodgy House
              12 high Street
              Colchester
              Essex
              Co4 5rt

              So some have additional line in their address...

              As mentioned above, I could dump the data into one column(field) with this File Methods and still extract data, for letter prints (mail merge) labels adding customer notes?
              There can be only one.

              Comment


                #8
                Rob,

                I would import the txt file into excel telling it that it is comma delimeted, then play around with it until you get the correct items for company name, street, town, city, county, post code and tel no etc under the right columns, then import to alpha. Bit of work but less than retyping everything.

                If really stuck post txt file hear, or send it to me and will have a go for you.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by wood1e
                  Hi,

                  I am trying to find a way of getting data in a .TXT file, that is in column format into a table in Alpha. ...can anyone help?
                  Rob

                  Do you have any option to get the data in a better format?
                  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


                    #10
                    [QUOTE=wood1e]Hi,

                    I am trying to find a way of getting data in a .TXT file, that is in column format into a table in Alpha. ...can anyone help?

                    Sample of the data is:



                    There is a pattern in your data and you may want to look at software from DataWatch called Monarch. I use the pro version to set up templates to extract data from text files that are otherwise not easily formatted. Monarch will allow you to set up a mask that can reformat the data (including namesplit functions). I just did a quick and dirty first pass and you can see on the attached the split I created. This file can be further refined by using the nsplit functionality and then saved as an excel file. The key in this process is in the template pattern you design to trap the data. They do have address type splitting built in but I just did a quick pass at it to show you a possible solution. The software has been invaluable in converting source text files that could not be otherwise easily formatted and has been a key piece of software I continue to use regularly.

                    Ken

                    Comment

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