ImportASCII()

Loads the contents of an ASCII text file into a CAPITAL database table.

Syntax

ImportAscii(<cDBFInto>, <cFile>, [<cType>] ) --> lSuccess

Arguments

<cDBFInfo> --> The database table to load the ASCII data into. This must be a valid DBF table recognised by CAPITAL and located in the current company directory. Path information is not allowed.

<cFile> --> The name of the ASCII text file to load. The ASCII text file must be in MS-DOS 8.3 file name format. Path information should be included.

<cType> --> The ASCII file type or delimiter used if the file is of CSV type. Values may include:

SDF	Standard Data Format. The fields contained in the file are of fixed length without delimiters.
DEL	The file is a standard ASCII comma delimited text file where fields are enclosed in double-quote marks and separated by commas. (Although double-quote marks are optional.) Fields and records may be of variable length.
TAB	Tab delimited
" "	Each field is delimited with a blank space. Fields and records may be of variable length.
<x>	Where <x> is the delimiter used. For example, to import a tab delimited ASCII text file specify the delimiter as CHR(08). Fields and records may be of variable length.

Returns

Returns logical TRUE is the file import was successful.

Description

This function accepts three parameters: the first is the database table to import into, the second is the ASCII text file to load, and the third is the ASCII file type. If reading the file fails a FALSE condition is returned.

This function is usually used in conjunction with the CreateTable() function which creates a database (DBF) table for importing into.

In order to correctly import date information into a date field, the date information in the ASCII text file must be in yyyymmdd format. If this is not the case, import the date information into a character field and then reformat it using CAPITAL Business Script.

Unless otherwise indicated CAPITAL assumes the imported ASCII text file has the extension .TXT

SDF Text Format Specifications

Character fields	Padded with trailing blanks
Date fields	yyyymmdd
Numeric fields	padded with leading blanks or zeros
Field separator	None
Record separator	Carriage return/line feed
End of file marker	1A hex or CHR(26)

Delimited Text Format Specification

Character fields	May be delimited with trailing blanks truncated.
Date field	yyyymmdd
Numeric fields	Leading zeros may be truncated
Field separator	comma (by default) or specified character type.
Record separator	Carriage return/line feed
End of file marker	1A hex or CHR(26)

Example

* Create a database table containing two fields that

* will hold the contents of the ASCII file

Declare Flds Type Array

Declare Typs Type Array

Declare Lens Type Array

Declare Decs Type Array

Flds := { "PARTNO", "TITLE" }

Typs := { "C", "C" }

Lens := { 25, 40 }

Decs := { 0, 0 }

CreateTable("Test", Flds, Typs, Lens, Decs)

* Now import the ASCII text file

ImportAscii("Test", "C:\Temp\Parts.csv", "DEL")

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