PROTIP: Importing data into filepro

[Scott Walker]

Bob,

Amen!  You are right, earlier versions of Excel actually seemed to be
easier.

When I can specify what I want, I always say Fixed Length Fields.

If I can't get that, then I specify "|" as the field separator. 

Most of my customers are manufactures reps who get a spreadsheet from the
factory with the Part#, Description, Pricing, and other info.  Someone at
the factory (usually someone in some sort of marketing support position -
nobody who really understands programming or data issues) produces the
spreadsheet in whatever d*mbf*ck manner they think looks pretty, and then
emails it to all their reps.  Any request to that marketing person to get
the data in a more sane manner falls on deaf ears, assuming that the have
the slightest idea of what I am asking for or how in the world to produce
it.

So I work with whatever they send me and it takes a lot of massaging and
checking.

Regards,

Scott

> -----Original Message-----
> From: filepro-list-
> bounces+scottwalker=ramsystemscorp.com at lists.celestial.com
> [mailto:filepro-list-
> bounces+scottwalker=ramsystemscorp.com at lists.celestial.com] On Behalf Of
> Bob Simcoe
> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 1:38 PM
> To: 'filePro Mailing List'
> Subject: RE: PROTIP: Importing data into filepro
> 
> Until recently, whenever I needed to import from an Excel spreadsheet (
> every month, 7,000 lines ), it was very simple. Save the spreadsheet as a
> dbaseIV file and use fp's dbcopy. Then fix things up in Define Files and
> Screens.
> The reason I said  "until recently", was that new versions of Excel do
> not offer saving as a dbase.
> 
> Bob Simcoe
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: filepro-list-bounces+bob=midcityoffice.com at lists.celestial.com
> [mailto:filepro-list-bounces+bob=midcityoffice.com at lists.celestial.com]
> On Behalf Of Scott Walker
> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 1:14 PM
> To: 'filePro Mailing List'
> Subject: FW: PROTIP: Importing data into filepro
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Scott Walker [mailto:ScottWalker at RAMSystemsCorp.com]
> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 1:04 PM
> To: 'Jay Ashworth'
> Subject: RE: PROTIP: Importing data into filepro
> 
> Jay,
> 
> Thanks for the input.
> 
> I agree with you. If I ever have control I use "|".
> 
> But, this is real world, and I often have no control, no input, no
> information, no common sense, no time, and no patience.
> 
> Customer just gets a spreadsheet from somewhere and hand it to me and
> says "Can you make this work?".
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Scott
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: filepro-list-
> > bounces+scottwalker=ramsystemscorp.com at lists.celestial.com
> > [mailto:filepro-list-
> > bounces+scottwalker=ramsystemscorp.com at lists.celestial.com] On Behalf
> > bounces+Of
> > Jay Ashworth
> > Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 12:13 PM
> > To: filepro-list at lists.celestial.com
> > Subject: PROTIP: Importing data into filepro
> >
> > If you have any control at all over the format of incoming variable-
> > length data that you need to import into filePro, you should specify
> >
> > |
> >
> > as your field separator, and no added commas at all.
> >
> > While it's an ASCII character, it's not a character that anyone who
> > isn't a programmer ever types anywhere; I have been using it for this
> > for literally three decades, and it has never falsed *once* on me.
> Ever.
> >
> > Just sayin'...
> >
> > Cheers,
> > -- jra
> > --
> > Jay R. Ashworth                  Baylink
> > jra at baylink.com
> > Designer                     The Things I Think
> RFC
> > 2100
> > Ashworth & Associates     http://baylink.pitas.com         2000 Land
> > Rover DII
> > St Petersburg FL USA               #natog                      +1 727
> 647
> > 1274
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> 
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