TXT File to VFP Table
Hi all. I'm trying to figure out how to take a text file and create and populate a vfp table.
Here's the idea:
config.txt contains the definition to create a table and populate it.
main.prg checks for the existence of the table during startup, and if it does not exist, parses config.txt to create it.
The table is quite small, containing just four 128 character fields.
I can check for the existence of the table, and I'm sure I need to use filetostr to parse the .txt file, however I can't figure out the syntax (I guess) needed in the text file for this to work.
Here's the idea:
config.txt contains the definition to create a table and populate it.
main.prg checks for the existence of the table during startup, and if it does not exist, parses config.txt to create it.
The table is quite small, containing just four 128 character fields.
I can check for the existence of the table, and I'm sure I need to use filetostr to parse the .txt file, however I can't figure out the syntax (I guess) needed in the text file for this to work.
jharkins
Attach a copy of config.txt please.
Well this depends on format of the config.txt. If it contains SQL command like:
If you just need to read the whole config file into a variable use FILETOSTR as you mentioned:
Once the file is ported to a variable you may process the variable and again depends on the file format... So let suppose the file contains the CREATE TABLE command again. In such case you may execute it by:
Use path together with filename if your file is placed outside the VFP default folder.
Many other ways of table definition exist and above is showed just one of them.
CREATE TABLE MyTable ( ;
Column1 char(128), ;
Column2 char(128), ;
Column3 char(128), ;
Column4 char(128))If you just need to read the whole config file into a variable use FILETOSTR as you mentioned:
YourVariable = FILETOSTR("config.txt")Once the file is ported to a variable you may process the variable and again depends on the file format... So let suppose the file contains the CREATE TABLE command again. In such case you may execute it by:
EXECSCRIPT(YourVariable)Use path together with filename if your file is placed outside the VFP default folder.
Many other ways of table definition exist and above is showed just one of them.
To check for file existence:
cFileName = "C:\import\myfile.text"
IF FILE(cFilename)
ENDIF
To import a file with fixed width (fields have to be the exact same size as the text)
IMPORT FROM &cFileName TYPE SDF
If there is a header in the file that you wish to discard
GO TOP
DELETE
If there is a delimiter and the file is not fixed width:
IMPORT FROM &cFileName TYPE DELIMITED WITH <char>
where char is the character that is delimiting the fields.
I could not look them up in Help so please check syntax correctly.
cFileName = "C:\import\myfile.text"
IF FILE(cFilename)
ENDIF
To import a file with fixed width (fields have to be the exact same size as the text)
IMPORT FROM &cFileName TYPE SDF
If there is a header in the file that you wish to discard
GO TOP
DELETE
If there is a delimiter and the file is not fixed width:
IMPORT FROM &cFileName TYPE DELIMITED WITH <char>
where char is the character that is delimiting the fields.
I could not look them up in Help so please check syntax correctly.
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This solution worked beautifully for my needs - thank you!!