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Converting Data Elements From A Legacy System

I will be using data elements from a legacy system to populate the database created in SQL Server. These data elements use an older style of naming like auto_rfi_stow_fg. Is there a way to create the tables in
SQL Server so that intelligible names may be used yet enable the elements from the legacy system to be dumped into SQL Server. I don't know enough about the process of
dumping/importing to know what is involved? I guessing that somewhere behind the scenes there is a way to set the older name to the newer name.

Thanks!

odessa

When you finish with dumping you can change the name's of tables inside the SQL Server
e.g. in Enterprise Manager you can do rename...

John500

ASKER

So, in other words the new tables created in SQL must have names identical to the ones in the legacy system? Also, does this mean that each new table has to have the exact elements as the old for the dump to be successful? The older database is not relational (which I desire) so I'm assuming I would create the relational database once I have all the data?

Or, is it possible to create the relational database with the legacy table/element names and then do the dump? This approach would save the time of making two different databases.

John500

ASKER

Requesting quicker response time!! Thank you!

odessa

1. When you dumping data you must know with what Instrument you'll do data dumping I use Delphi's Data Migration Wizard
2. With DMW I can change names of tables & fields before dumping.
Thats all

John500

ASKER

What if I have all of the data elements in a Word document. How could I dump the data? Would Delphi's Data Migration Wizard be able to do the trick?

Are there any demo products out there like DMW that can be download and tested before purchasing the complete product...

John500

ASKER

Also, can you tell me what option allows manual data entry into tables?

mayhew

John,

If I'm understanding you right...

If all your data is in a Word document, you could Save As an ascii flat-file and then bcp the data into SQL Server.

Bcp is a command line utility in the mssql\binn directory that was made for just this kind of application.

Take a look at the description in the help files (or Books Online) and let us know if this is what you need.

Don

cymbolic

Here's another common route to getting data into SQL Server. Import it into Access first. Access has a number of drivers and readers that will help you get your data into a database, and it has a friendly front end to manually make the kind of changes you want more easily than using SQL server. Then, when your data is as you like it, you can "upsize" it to SQL server uisng MS Upsizing tools, or, you can link your Access database to SQL Server tables, and use Access Queries to copy the data over from your local database to your SQL Server tables.

John500

ASKER

Sorry to take so long responding to this question.

I have since solved the problem and in part due to mayhew's answer. Thanks for the responding cymbolic, but it will be fair to grade mayhew's answer.

This is a great service you guys/gals provide.

Mayhew, please make the grading screen available to me.

John

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

mayhew

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