Run DIM Script

To access this function start INSTALLATION Workshop and from the main menu select Transfer|Import External File|Run DIM Script.

This operation allows you to import a data file directly into CAPITAL with a minimum of user prompting.

The first step is to use the External File Import facility to set-up a data import script. This is saved as a field list. When importing data in the future, this option can be used to skip over the steps of specifying where to find the data file to import, the type of import to be performed, etc.

This feature should be used with caution! You should only use it if you can be assured that the formatting and structure of the data you are importing has not changed since the DIM was originally created.

Running a DIM script directly results in a minimum of error checking. If the structure of the data you import has changed and you import it directly using this utility, you run the risk of importing garbled data into your system.

Use this facility when:

You need to regularly import data and you have control over the structure of the data being imported. (For example, your own organisation may be generating it.)

Don't use this facility if:

You import data only infrequently or the data comes from an external source that may have changed the structure of the data you will be importing.

Running DIM Scripts In Batch Mode

You may execute a DIM script via a Windows icon or a batch file by using the /IMPORT= switch when running the INSTWIN program. The syntax is:

INSTWIN /IMPORT=SCRIPT

where SCRIPT is the name of a data import script file with a .DIM extension. If a .MAC file with the same name as the data file being imported exists, it is also automatically loaded in.

If a problem occurs with the import and it cannot proceed, CAPITAL sets the operating system error level to 1. This result can be read by a batch file. (For more information on this topic consult your operating system technical documentation.)

If a direct import is done, the results of the import are written to a disk file of the format: IMPORTnn.TXT where "nn" is the day of the month. The file is saved to the applicable company directory in which the import was performed. This file may then be loaded into a word processor to confirm the results of the last import.

The DIM script contains the path information for the location of the file to import. You should place your DIM, MAC (if applicable) and data file in the same directory. For example, if you are importing from a directory called C:\IMPORTs then the syntax should be:

INSTWIN /IMPORT=C:\IMPORT\SCRIPT