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2 Questions on Importing files

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    2 Questions on Importing files

    Hi!

    I am using the standard file import function (not the new import pack) and have 2 questions. I am using the 16NOV10 patch update.

    Question 1
    In the properties there is an option to 'overwrite' the table however the table still gets records appended to it. Seems like overwrite would mean to empty (ie. zap) the table and then load it. What am I missing here? Is this the expected behavior?

    So for now I am using an operation to zap and then load the table.

    If "overwrite" does not mean "zap" then I would request a new option to be able to "zap" a table on import.

    Question 2
    Do aliases work in the file import in a desktop application?
    I am getting an error about the fields not being defined and the path cannot be found.

    The alias name is "ApplName_Home" and the path is "C:\users\dvenus\Documents\A5V10.d\ApplName.d". In the import path I enter "[ApplName_Home]\abc.csv". And
    "[ApplName_Home]\abc.dbf" for the path to the table.

    If this is not supposed to work I would request it as new feature or a fix depending on how you look at it.

    Thanks for any help, suggestions, corrections, etc.!

    Dave Venus

    #2
    Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

    Dave,
    1. I agree that records get appended even when overwrite is selected.
    It is certainly misleading, but your approach to zap the table first is best and foolproof.
    In the import there is an option to check for duplicates in which case existing records can be updated (overwritten?) with the info in the import.
    2. Look at FILENAME_FROM_ALIAS() in Help.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

      Originally posted by dvenus View Post
      Hi!

      I am using the standard file import function (not the new import pack) and have 2 questions. I am using the 16NOV10 patch update.

      Question 1
      In the properties there is an option to 'overwrite' the table however the table still gets records appended to it. Seems like overwrite would mean to empty (ie. zap) the table and then load it. What am I missing here? Is this the expected behavior?

      So for now I am using an operation to zap and then load the table.

      If "overwrite" does not mean "zap" then I would request a new option to be able to "zap" a table on import.

      <...snip..>
      Dave Venus
      Overwrite should zap when importing into a table with the same name. If it does not, I say that is a bug. Moreover, in my brief testing that's not the only thing not working correctly in the new the way import operations work, whether using the genie or not. I do not have time right now to put together a bug report, so I can only hope someone checks it out and submits a report.

      Raymond Lyons

      Comment


        #4
        Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

        Originally posted by Raymond Lyons View Post
        Overwrite should zap when importing into a table with the same name. If it does not, I say that is a bug. Moreover, in my brief testing that's not the only thing not working correctly in the new the way import operations work, whether using the genie or not. I do not have time right now to put together a bug report, so I can only hope someone checks it out and submits a report.

        Raymond Lyons
        i have constructed two different test cases, one using .xls files and one using .csv files. in both cases the import correctly overwrote the existing file as instructed.

        i don't agree that there is any bug with the import operation.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

          Selwyn,
          I did this a couple of days ago but from memory the steps to get the error are:
          Create an import operation into a new table and run the operation.
          Now modify that operation to import into an existing table (the new table you created in previous step) and select overwrite data, now run operation. You will see that records are appended and existing records are not overwritten.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

            Originally posted by Garry Flanigan View Post
            Selwyn,
            I did this a couple of days ago but from memory the steps to get the error are:
            Create an import operation into a new table and run the operation.
            Now modify that operation to import into an existing table (the new table you created in previous step) and select overwrite data, now run operation. You will see that records are appended and existing records are not overwritten.
            the overwrite option applies when you are importing into a new table. it will overwrite the existing table (if there is one) and create a new table from the imported data.

            if you are importing into an existing table, then the overwrite option does not apply.

            Comment


              #7
              Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

              Selwyn,
              That may be but "overwrite" in the operation is not qualified in the way you qualify it now. So if you think this is not a bug you need to make it clear to the user.

              the overwrite option applies when you are importing into a new table. it will overwrite the existing table (if there is one) and create a new table from the imported data.
              Surely if you are importing into a new table then there is never anything to overwrite?

              Comment


                #8
                Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

                Garry,
                I take what Selwyn stated as the import operation will overwrite an existing table if the new table option is used and imported into a table that already exists of the same name.....nice to know the subtle difference if I am correct in my interpretation.

                I have never encountered this issue due to my habit of zapping the import table prior to import or using a temp table (new table created on import) and then appending the records to the existing table.

                I do see your point however.....
                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


                  #9
                  Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

                  Originally posted by Garry Flanigan View Post
                  Selwyn,
                  That may be but "overwrite" in the operation is not qualified in the way you qualify it now. So if you think this is not a bug you need to make it clear to the user.



                  Surely if you are importing into a new table then there is never anything to overwrite?
                  if you are importing into a new table, then there COULD be something to overwrite.

                  say you have an existing table called 'customer.dbf'.
                  you define an import operation to import into a new table, and you specify that the name of the new table is 'customer.dbf'.

                  when you run the import, a5 will see that there is an existing table called 'customer.dbf'. if will put up a dialog to ask if you want to overwrite the existing table.

                  if you want to suppress this dialog from coming up, you can by checking the 'overwrite' box in the import properties.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

                    The only ask overwrite I see is the combination to new table when an existing table of same name exists. There is no overwrite when import to existing table is chosen, its an append. Unless I am missing something. I included an example.
                    Mike W
                    __________________________
                    "I rebel in at least small things to express to the world that I have not completely surrendered"

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

                      Originally posted by Mike Wilson View Post
                      The only ask overwrite I see is the combination to new table when an existing table of same name exists. There is no overwrite when import to existing table is chosen, its an append. Unless I am missing something. I included an example.
                      i am talking about a 'classic' import operation. your example is an alphaDAO import operation. we are comparing apples an oranges here.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

                        This is not an issue. No need for anything further in this line. At least not for me. I do what MikeC does, zap the table before import.

                        I'm just pointing out that with either import method, to get the import operation to overwrite the table requires chosing "write to new table", for the table you want to be overwritten with the import. Otherwise if you chose write to existing table, it will append, no chance for overwriting. No real issue here.
                        Mike W
                        __________________________
                        "I rebel in at least small things to express to the world that I have not completely surrendered"

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

                          Originally posted by Raymond Lyons View Post
                          ....Moreover, in my brief testing [overwrite is] not the only thing not working correctly in the new the way import operations work, whether using the genie or not. I do not have time right now to put together a bug report, so I can only hope someone checks it out and submits a report.

                          Raymond Lyons
                          I need to add that what caused me to think there were "other things" not working correctly with the new import operations was a test file that apparently had some minor corruption in it, probably from it having been zipped and unzipped. That said, I for one preferred the way the old import genie worked--the old genie seems more robust in some respects than the new one.

                          By the way, I too always zap before importing into an existing table, assuming that I only want the new data in the table. For that matter, I do that to a temp table even when my ultimate goal is to append the new data to another table (the append goes from the temp table to my ultimate target table). There are a number of reasons for doing this, including the fact that with an append one can put in conditional expressions and/or combine fields from the imported data into one field in the target table--something you can't do with a simple import.

                          Raymond Lyons

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

                            Originally posted by Raymond Lyons View Post
                            I need to add that what caused me to think there were "other things" not working correctly with the new import operations was a test file that apparently had some minor corruption in it, probably from it having been zipped and unzipped. That said, I for one preferred the way the old import genie worked--the old genie seems more robust in some respects than the new one......
                            FYI, it turns out there was no corruption in my test file--whatever the problem was with using the new import genie with my file, Selwyn is fixing it. Once it works the way it is supposed to work, there is no reason to prefer the way the old genie worked--the new one is probably the one that is more robust.

                            Raymond Lyons

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: 2 Questions on Importing files

                              I'm attempting to import a file of approximately 150 fields, 158,000 records letting A5V10.5 create a new table. I've tried creating the file using ~ as a delimiter and as a Lotus WK1 file.

                              A5 locks up importing a TXT file and gives an Invalid Field Name error trying to import a WK1 even though it sees all the field names.

                              ??????????

                              Comment

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