exporting MEMO along with other data (Hoping XLATE works, I need SLK)

Mike Fedkiw mfedkiwfp at gmail.com
Thu Aug 17 00:13:14 PDT 2017 

I just found this "slk file exports opened with Excel have a limit of 
255 characters in a cell. This limit is not present in LibreOffice." at 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SYmbolic_LinK_(SYLK)

Mike

On 8/17/2017 2:55 AM, Mike Fedkiw wrote:
>
> Now I'm wondering if anyone knows of limitations in a SLK file
>
> Just messing around I was trying this aa(255,*)=""{invy(367){"" with 
> different field lengths. When aa=255 it exports the data to the slk 
> file but as soon as I changed it to 256 I get the errors and nothing 
> exported.
>
>
> Mike
>
>
> On 8/17/2017 2:11 AM, Mike Fedkiw wrote:
>> Well after everything I've been through trying to get the MEMO field 
>> to export it's looking like I'm back to the start or almost.
>>
>> I was kinda happy when I was able to export the MEMO field to a CSV 
>> file, it actually looked okay. That was only with about 20 or so 
>> records though, but when I exported my entire inventory file it was a 
>> different story all together.
>>
>> It didn't matter if I opened the CSV with excel or if I imported the 
>> data into an xls file defining all the columns, it was a mess with 
>> columns shifted all over the place. SLK files don't have this issue 
>> at all, they open just like an xls file to manipulate whatever is 
>> needed and afterwards I can simply save it as a CSV to import into 
>> whatever.
>>
>> So... it's looking like tomorrows project is going to be messing with 
>> this XLATE example from Bruce to see if I can get the MEMO exported 
>> into an SLK file without the errors that I've been getting.
>>
>> Filepro, making a simple processes miserable at times, ugh
>>
>>
>> Mike
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 8/16/2017 2:21 PM, Bruce Easton via Filepro-list wrote:
>>> Bill Randall wrote earlier with this: "Note the syntax for handling 
>>> memo fields is a little different than regular fields.   When 
>>> assigning it, precede it with {""
>>>
>>>
>>>  I've never used this technique - most likely because the memo fields
>>>  I've worked with had more data geared for a memo field - i.e. text
>>>  with embedded newlines for instance, and in addition, more
>>>  interpretation or selection was desired within the memo field data for
>>>  the output assignment.  Therefore, my examples all required memo
>>>  export followed by reading of the memo exported data line by line to
>>>  achieve interpretation and selection.  So it's good to know that for
>>>  certain purposes - a simple assignment from the memo field will do the
>>>  trick.
>>>
>>> What I just discovered, though,  is that even with a memo field of 
>>> one line, even after:
>>>
>>> export MULTI expfld=(outputfile)
>>>
>>> expfld(1)=""{memofield{""
>>>
>>> that the exported data still contains an end of line character after 
>>> the exported memo field data before the close double-quote for that 
>>> field.   As Mike pointed out, Excel can handle this for csv, but 
>>> gives errors when opening .SLK files.
>>>
>>> Therefore, this works for me under Linux to correctly format the 
>>> .SLK file for Excel:
>>>
>>> Then: aa(20,*)=""{memo_fld{""
>>> Then: ab(20,*)=xlate(aa,chr("10"),"")   'get rid of new lines
>>> Then: export MULTI outf=("/tmp/betest.slk")
>>> Then: outf(1)=ab
>>>
>>> On Windows for this, I'm not sure if you would also need to xlate 
>>> out any carriage returns (chr("13")).
>>>
>>> Bruce
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 8/16/17 12:56 PM, Mike Fedkiw via Filepro-list wrote:
>>>> Thank You,
>>>> I appreciate everyone's response in trying to help me with the 
>>>> issues I'm having , this is what I've found...
>>>> *
>>>> invfile(42)=invy(367)                 [did NOT work]**
>>>> **invfile(42)=""{invy(367)            [DID WORK]**
>>>> **invfile(42)=""{invy(367){""       [DID WORK]
>>>>
>>>> **The above was when exporting the MEMO field as WORD/CSV, not SLK*
>>>>
>>>> *Now if I could only get this to export to a SLK file I'd be 
>>>> golden, ugh*
>>>>
>>>> After a little more messing around I see that 
>>>> invfile(42)=""{invy(367) does export the memo but only if I export 
>>>> it as s CSV "export word invfile=c:\!Output\eBay\eBayInvy.csv)".
>>>>
>>>> for testing purposes I've only populated eight records MEMO fields 
>>>> with data. When I tried using this "export multi 
>>>> invfile=c:\!Output\eBay\eBayInvy.slk" to export the data as a SLK 
>>>> file I get errors when opening the file with excel.
>>>>
>>>> I just realized now that it was reporting the exact number of 
>>>> errors as records containing that contained MEMO's.
>>>>
>>>> It seems like I could be stuck with dealing with a miserable CSV 
>>>> file which I totally despise. You can't simply just open a CSV file 
>>>> in excel and make edits, at least not if it contains any data with 
>>>> leading zero's that you want to retain. Now I'm probably going to 
>>>> need an xls(refresh) file where I setup everything that could drop 
>>>> leading zero's as "text" columns and open the CSV with that before 
>>>> editing anything which just SUCKS!
>>>>
>>>> I know the CSV actually contains the leading zero's but if you just 
>>>> double click and open them in excel, it's a mess. It would be nice 
>>>> if there was some sort of module that could be added to excel for 
>>>> handling things like this but I've never heard of it.
>>>>
>>>> SLK files retain all of the leading zero's, open just like an XLS 
>>>> file, and I can save it as whatever I want after making any needed 
>>>> edits. To me having to deal with UPC's and other fields with 
>>>> leading zeros SLK was just much easier to use.
>>>>
>>>> Mike
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 8/16/2017 11:10 AM, Faisal Karim wrote:
>>>>> Have you tried?
>>>>>
>>>>> invfile(42)=""{invy(367){""
>>>>>
>>>>> Faisal
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Filepro-list 
>>>>> [mailto:filepro-list-bounces+faisalk=furniture-pro.com at lists.celestial.com] 
>>>>> On Behalf Of Mike Fedkiw via Filepro-list
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2017 6:17 PM
>>>>> To: Bruce Easton; 0 Filepro List
>>>>> Subject: Re: exporting MEMO along with other data
>>>>>
>>>>> Since the ""{ didn't make any difference it's looking like I'm 
>>>>> headed in the direction you said in your reply but I'm already 
>>>>> having issues.
>>>>>
>>>>> Everywhere I've looked there's just no examples of exporting the 
>>>>> MEMO other than the little bit in the help file to help me.
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm doing a sub routine to export the MEMO field but nothing 
>>>>> works, examples below.
>>>>>
>>>>> =======================================================
>>>>>
>>>>> expmemo◄ If:
>>>>>                  Then: MEMO invy(367) EXPORT "memo"
>>>>>
>>>>> =======================================================
>>>>>
>>>>> expmemo◄ If:
>>>>>                  Then: MEMO invy(367) EXPORT "memo.txt"
>>>>>
>>>>> =======================================================
>>>>>
>>>>> expmemo◄ If:
>>>>>                  Then: MEMO invy(367) EXPORT "c:\memo"
>>>>>
>>>>> =======================================================
>>>>>
>>>>> expmemo◄ If:
>>>>>                  Then: MEMO invy(367) EXPORT "c:\memo.txt"
>>>>>
>>>>> =======================================================
>>>>>
>>>>> Some just got the above got stuck on a black screen, some caused 
>>>>> memory errors, etc...
>>>>>
>>>>> Can someone give me an example, any example of exporting a memo 
>>>>> field into a file?
>>>>>
>>>>> I just hoping the readline stuff will be easier to do because I've 
>>>>> never had to use that for anything either.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Mike
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 8/15/2017 1:39 PM, Bruce Easton via Filepro-list wrote:
>>>>>> Mike - the 'memo xx export...' command line should export the data
>>>>>> from the memo field to the destination you specify in that command.
>>>>>> It is then up to you to read that resulting memo-exported file so 
>>>>>> that
>>>>>> you can then output the data as desired in your 'invfile' export 
>>>>>> file.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In place of "invfile(42)=invy(367)", you may want to have a 'gosub
>>>>>> getmem, where that subroutine would:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 1.  export the memo field
>>>>>> 2.  read the exported memo field file from step 1 (for instance, 
>>>>>> using
>>>>>> readline loop)
>>>>>> 3.  massage/select_from the data read in step 2 in order to:
>>>>>> 4.  then assign to invfile(42) what you need there
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 8/15/17 12:48 PM, Mike Fedkiw via Filepro-list wrote:
>>>>>>> windows server 2008 r2,filepro 5.0.05dn9
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The line below is what I've been using to export the selected 
>>>>>>> fields
>>>>>>> information into a file. It's been working pretty good now, at 
>>>>>>> least
>>>>>>> until it gets to the field containing the memo which always 
>>>>>>> winds up
>>>>>>> to be a blank column.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> export multi invfile=c:\!Output\eBay\eBayInvy.slk
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> In the help I see this...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "MEMO xx EXPORT filename    Exports the MEMO field xx to the
>>>>>>> specified filename"
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>  From that I have no clue how to get it to do what I'm needing 
>>>>>>> as far
>>>>>>> as the memo.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I've got a ton of fields currently being exported into this file
>>>>>>> which all work just fine like...
>>>>>>> invfile(1)=invy(1)
>>>>>>> invfile(2)=invy(14)
>>>>>>> invfile(3)=invy(68)
>>>>>>> invfile(4)=invy(112)
>>>>>>> etc...
>>>>>>> but when it gets to  "invfile(42)=invy(367)", I just get a blank
>>>>>>> column in the export file. invy(367) is the field containing the
>>>>>>> (16,memo) edit.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Can someone please help me with this?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> P.S. I hope this isn't going to be a re-post because I thought I
>>>>>>> posted this a couple days ago but never saw it come across.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Mike
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>
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