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Import from a .DAT file

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    #16
    Re: Import from a .DAT file

    Originally posted by DaveM View Post
    i simply converted the spaces(2 or more) to commas and then eliminated the commas to 1 comma. It was fast and rude and could be better done.
    That approach would be fine but it seems there would be issues with fields that themselves contain spaces which would get converted to commas and fields that themselves contain commas.

    RIO INVESTMENTS, LLC
    BACK TO HEALTH OF THE PALM BEACHES, INC.
    There can be only one.

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      #17
      Re: Import from a .DAT file

      Correct Stan,

      it would take a bit more work. but the idea that there were 6 spaces between fields kinda went haywire(or I read that wrong).
      I think the idea was the inconsistency of the data and fields may be a problem. I am trying some other stuff.

      If the records have 6 spaces between fields, it would look something like this. i inserted 0's for a field taking the place of 2 spaces.

      P07000000010STEVEN GROSSBARD, P.A., 00,, 00, ADOMP, 00, 44 WEST FLAGLER STREET, 00,, 00, 2100, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00, MIAMI, 00,, 00, FL33130 US01012007, 00, N FL, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00, GROSSBARD, 00, STEVEN, 00,ESQ. P44 WEST FLAGLER STREET, 00,, 00, MIAMI, 00,, 00, FL33130 P PGROSSBARD, 00, STEVEN, 00, 44 WEST FLAGLER STREET, #2100, 00, MIAMI, 00,, 00, FL33130, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,, 00,
      It would take about 8-10 passes to get this to uniform sizes using word. i think word can handle the file. Probably 1/2 day to get it good enough to import nicely. Or get close and let alpha handle it with some operations.
      Last edited by DaveM; 05-01-2008, 02:38 PM.
      Dave Mason
      [email protected]
      Skype is dave.mason46

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        #18
        Re: Import from a .DAT file

        Done.

        Comment


          #19
          Re: Import from a .DAT file

          Stan, Doug, Mike, Ray, Dave and of course Gabe,

          Thank you all for looking at this and offering your experience, observations, suggestions and examples.

          I think I'm making some forward progress. I am now able to import the .dat file directly into Alpha 5. The formatting is off (a.k.a.) Alpha is not placing all of the data into the appropriate fields, but at least Apha can now see the data.

          Gabe, you seem to have the data in the right fields (I'm assuming you used the Substr() function to extract the data into the correct fields. Whichever method you used, I would really appreciate it if you share the method you used. I will note, the file you did this with is just a sampling of the real data. the actual .dat file is in excess of 500 MB and there are 10 of these files.

          Again thank you all for your time and effort!

          Louis

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            #20
            Re: Import from a .DAT file

            Louis:
            The whole process took few seconds.. it's easier to do than explain, you could either:
            1-zip all your files, I will import them and zip them back, or
            2-I could attach a video showing how it's done.
            Typing is not something I like to do..
            Last edited by G Gabriel; 05-01-2008, 04:20 PM.

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              #21
              Re: Import from a .DAT file

              Gabe,

              In the interest of learning how to do this for myself, I would prefer the video. Thank you very much for offering.

              If you would like to just show me live online, I have a LogMe In Rescue account we could use so I can observe what you are doing.

              I am sending additional contact info in a private message.

              Thanks,

              Louis

              Comment


                #22
                Re: Import from a .DAT file

                I have a LogMe In Rescue account
                Never used it before.. how do I log in?

                Comment


                  #23
                  Re: Import from a .DAT file

                  Go to www.logmein123.com

                  Enter pin code 472392

                  Select Run

                  Select Run Again

                  Say Yes when it says that a technician wished to connect.

                  There is a built-in chat client we can use as well

                  Louis

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                    #24
                    Re: Import from a .DAT file

                    Gabe,

                    For the sake of this thread and the others like me who would like to see what you've done, could you post something here?

                    Thanks

                    Comment


                      #25
                      Re: Import from a .DAT file

                      Definitely..I am just not sure if I can load the video.. I am working on it..give me a few.

                      Comment


                        #26
                        Re: Import from a .DAT file

                        In the attached video, I am showing how to create wk3 file from the DAT file. Beyond that, it's just a matter of importing the wk3 into alpha (didn't want to waste any video on that being a very simple straight forward matter).
                        Sorry.. the video will not upload being a little too big.. I will break it down into smaller ones.

                        OK..
                        here it is broken down into 3 smaller videos.
                        Last edited by G Gabriel; 05-01-2008, 05:12 PM.

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                          #27
                          Re: Import from a .DAT file

                          Thanks G,

                          Maybe I'm just a bit too naive/ignorant but what is the advantage to doing what you did in excel compared to just using the Alpha import operation of an ascii file??--looked to be the same manipulation I used when I did it but maybe not as the video, at least for me, was not very clear (needed to be magnified I guess). Unless some fields maybe needed to be changed into a different type??
                          Mike
                          __________________________________________
                          It is only when we forget all our learning that we begin to know.
                          It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
                          Henry David Thoreau
                          __________________________________________



                          Comment


                            #28
                            Re: Import from a .DAT file

                            Gabe,

                            I like the tricks you used, but I think that Mike is right - the result would be the same. For both methods I have some reservations as we are talking about a 550 MB file - 470,000+ rows of data!

                            Comment


                              #29
                              Re: Import from a .DAT file

                              I like the tricks you used, but I think that Mike is right - the result would be the same.
                              That's a negative.

                              ASCI will not work here. With ASCI, you need to tell alpha what is the delimiter. The delimiter here is a space, that won't work since the names, the companies' names and other fields all have spaces in them so if you use the space as a delimiter you will end up with a field for each word.

                              The way I did it is sort of "manually " put the delimiter where I want it hence you have the street address (which has several words) in one field, the company name (again with multiple words separated by spaces) all in one field and so on.

                              Do I have to explainthe joke? It is not funny anymore when you explain it!

                              Try to import it as ASCI and see wht happens.
                              Last edited by G Gabriel; 05-01-2008, 07:48 PM.

                              Comment


                                #30
                                Re: Import from a .DAT file

                                Hi Louis,

                                Do you realize that Alpha can read in and process any file, binary or text, as a blob (could be all at once, or portions at a time) and parse/process it. It won't normally be as fast as a built-in import primitive, but could be fast enough depending upon format.
                                Regards,

                                Ira J. Perlow
                                Computer Systems Design


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