TABLE.IMPORT Function
Syntax
Description
Import records from specified input file to the table.
Discussion
Specify the required values in the Import dot variable, then use the following command:
- import.type
Type: N ---- You use the Import Type Codes to specify the file format of the source file:
- Export Format Type Code
- Details
- FILE_FORMAT_ASCII
Number: 0, Extension: .ASC, Character-Separated ASCII
- FILE_FORMAT_TABLE_ASCII
Number: 1, Extension: .TBL, Table ASCII
- FILE_FORMAT_RICH_TEXT
Number: 2, Extension: .RTF, Rich Text Format (RTF)
- FILE_FORMAT_EXCEL_VERSION_3
Number: 3, Extension: .XLS, Microsoft Excel, Version 3.0
- FILE_FORMAT_EXCEL_VERSION_
Number: 4, Extension: .XLS, Microsoft Excel, Version 4.0
- FILE_FORMAT_123_VERSION_1
Number: 5, Extension: .WKS, Lotus 1-2-3, Version 1.0/1A
- FILE_FORMAT_123_VERSION_2
Number: 6, Extension: .WK1, Lotus 1-2-3, Version 2.0
- FILE_FORMAT_123_VERSION_3
Number: 7, Extension: .WK3, Lotus 1-2-3, Version 3.0
- FILE_FORMAT_SYMPHONY_VERSION_1
Number: 8, Extension: .WRK, Lotus Symphony, Version 1.0
- FILE_FORMAT_SYMPHONY_VERSION_2
Number: 9, Extension: .WR1, Lotus Symphony, Version 2.0
- import.names
Type C ---- Optional. Default = NONE. The data in the source file is often preceded by the field names. If the file does have field names, you can specify one of the following options:
- "USE" = use field names
- "IGNORE" = ignore field names
- import.file
Type: C ---- The name of the file to be imported.
- import.db
Type: C ---- The name you assign for the resulting table file.
- import.skip_lines
Type: N ---- Optional. Default = 0. For ASCII-import and damaged table files to set the number of lines at the beginning of the source file that should be ignored.
- import.skip_bytes
Type: N ---- Optional. Default = 0. For ASCII-import and damaged table files to set the number of bytes at the beginning of the source file that should be ignored.
- import.field_sep, import.rec_sep
Type: C ---- Define how the end of fields and records are denoted in the source file. These strings can include any characters, including the following special separator characters:
- Separator
- Description
- <CR> <LF>
Carriage return and line feed combination
- <CR>
Carriage return
- <LF>
Line feed
- <ESC>
Escape Escape
- <TAB>
Tab
- import.record_len
Type: C ---- Specifies the character length (including spaces and carriage returns) of one record in a source file that is in ASCII table format.
- import.rem_blanks
Type: L ---- Specifies whether or not leading blanks should be imported along with the data.
- .T. (TRUE) = Import leading blanks
- .F. (FALSE) = Do not import leading blanks
- import.text_qualifier
Type: C ---- Specify the character in which fields in a character-separated file are enclosed. The import.text_qualifier parameter is used to specify the character in which fields in a character-separated file are enclosed. For example, if your import file looks like this: "Alpha Software","168 Middlesex Tpke","01803" you would specify " \" " as the Text Qualifier. (NOTE: The quote qualifier is prefixed with a \ to distinguish it from the enclosing quotes.) If the import file looks like this: 'Alpha Software','168 Middlesex Tpke','01803' you would specify "'" as the Text Qualifier. (A single quote between double quotes.) If the text is not enclosed in qualifiers, then specify a NULL string (e.g., "").
- import.fields
Type: N ---- Specifies how many fields are to be imported.
- import.field1 ... import.fieldN
Type: C ---- Specify the field name, type, offset, width, and decimal values in a comma delimited string for each of the field(s) to be imported. Refer to the example below for the format. In the case of a table ASCII file, the offset is the starting position of the field. In the case of all other files, the offset if the field number. The field number starts with 0. i.e., for import.field1, the offset is 0.
The TABLE.IMPORT() method is a high-level utility function you use to import the records of a file of a different format into a new table file. Most parameters passed to import through the Import function variable correspond directly with the prompts and options appearing on the Import Builder.
Example
This script imports a character separated ASCII file into the desired table.
filename = ui_get_file("File To Import","ASCII(*.asc)", "c:\a5\a_sports\customer.asc","X") choice = ui_get_radio("Field Name Status",1,"use","ignore","none") import.type = 0 import.names = choice import.file = filename import.db = "c:\a5\a_sports\cust_new.dbf" import.skip_lines = 0 import.skip_bytes = 0 import.field_sep = "," import.record_sep = "<CR><LF>" import.record_len = 0 import.rem_blanks = .T. import.text_qualifier = "" import.fields = 5 import.field1 = "cust_id,c,0,8,0" import.field2 = "salutation,c,1,11,0" import.field3 = "first_name,c,2,19,0" import.field4 = "last_name,c,3,19,0" import.field5 = "home_phone,c,4,15,0" Table.import()
See Also