Using PdoxDOS 4.5, trying to import a text file with 13000 lines in nice,
orderly columns, 95 chars per line. This is not rocket surgery - I've been
doing this for years. This time, however, I run the import and get this:

Action = Overwrite
0 records processed
Import Complete
1 Records Imported
0 Errors Detected

Press any key to continue....

Checking the resulting table, I find just one record. Makes no sense, but
here's a clue. If I open the source text file (in WinEdit) and go to the end
of any line (using the END key), I find I'm at column 96. But, if I use
Flimport to check record length, it shows a result of 32500. Very odd. Any
thoughts on this issue?

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
Is there a CR/LF (hex 0D 0A) pair at the end of each line?

"Ed Nash" <ask.me (AT) specifically (DOT) pls> wrote

Not that I can see in WinEdit. However:

- If I open the text file in Word using the "Show All" option, there's a
paragraph mark at the end of each line.

- If I copy the text from the offending file into a new file, the import
works. It's a minor extra step, but still, I'm curious.

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
One other thought... some programs that create text files put an
end-of-file marker (non-visible) after the last CR/LF. My experience is
that Paradox doesn't like it. I suspect that when you copy/paste you
are not bringing along that EOF byte. Try deleting it with a hex editor
or even using the backspace key after opening the file in Notepad. Then
re-save and re-import.

As Ed has covered, it's most likely that each line is not ending with the
CR/LF pair (Hex 0D/0A). You should run a HEX viewer to check the original
file - any other "editor" may lie to you - some will automatically repair a
lone CR, or a lone LF, or a reversed LF/CR, to a "proper" CR/LF pair, and
then you'll not be any wiser at the end.

If it's a CR/LF issue, then you'll need to trace back to the source of this
file - I expect someone there took a wrong option... or prepared the file
for a UNIX platform... or...

Ed has also covered the EOF issue...

Finally, all the PDox "Import" routines - that I'm familiar with - are not
very smart on CSV files, where the field separator char (usually ,) and/or
the field delimiter char (usually ") are embedded within string fields.

- Mike

"Ed Nash" <ask.me (AT) specifically (DOT) pls> wrote

This was a fixed length file, so delimiters weren't the problem, although I
know what you mean. The files I get often have commas in the product
descriptions. Since they serve no useful purpose, in terms of legibility, I
do a search/replace and turn them into spaces.

As far the source of the file, you're probably correct about the "wrong
turn". I have no control over what the vendors send us, unfortunately. A few
of the companies have had consistent procedures in place for 10 years, as
evidenced by the age of my flimport spec files. Others think it's fun to
change their formats every 3 months.



"Michael Kennedy" <Info (AT) KennedySoftware (DOT) ie> wrote

Just a thought;
Can it be linked to a smallint limit?
Régis

"JoeSpareBedroom" <dishborealis (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> a écrit dans le message de news:
82brh.725$ya1.389 (AT) news02 (DOT) roc.ny...

Not exactly sure what you mean, but all 3 text file columns are being
imported into a table formatted only with alpha fields, since no math is
done on the numbers. Here are a few lines of the text. In the actual file,
that 3rd column is actually right-justified, nice & neat, but will probably
appeared skewed in this message.

01600010610 GOLD MEDAL ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
1161001
01600010640 GOLD MEDAL HARVEST KING BREAD FLO 375001
01600010710 GOLD MEDAL ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
460541001





"Régis" <regis.dd (AT) club-internet (DOT) fr> wrote

the only problem with flimport is that it's functionality is so limited, if
the file and/or the results aren't straight-forward.. but in your case they
seem to be.. I never used it regularly.. it was too easy to build an import
shell that can eat *any* file..

--
Steven Green - Waldorf Maryland USA

Diamond Software Group
http://www.diamondsg.com/main.htm
Paradox Support & Sales

Diamond Sports Gems
http://www.diamondsg.com/gemsmain.htm
Sports Memorabilia and Trading Cards

"JoeSpareBedroom" <dishborealis (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote

The problem is that I'm a dreamer. I imagine that the people who send me
lousy files will walk into a bar and by pure chance, meet the people who
have been sending me good files for the past 10 years. They will be
enlightened. I will be happy.



"Steven Green" <greens (AT) diamondsg (DOT) com> wrote