Output

On the Output tab of the Import Text form, you can configure the structure and other details for your Output file.

The ability to use information in the Input file to guess the structure of the Output file, including the precision and width of numeric fields, plus the option to import numeric data in binary format, is provided.

Guess Structure Based on Input File

In the Guess Structure Based on Input File group, choose how the Input file will be scanned. You can then click the button to guess the structure of the Output file:

Select Scan file to scan the entire file rather than scan a subset of the rows in the file.
Select Scan rows to scan the number of rows in the input box provided.

Import Numbers As

Choose whether to prefer numbers are imported as Binary or Numeric values.

Along with the Target and other values for the structure, the Guess Structure process determines the decimals and width of numeric fields from the actual precision and width of the fixed point textual representations of floating point numbers as they appear in the Input file. For example, the precision of -12.3000 is 4 and the width is 8.

The width of a field is the maximum of the widths of the values - which also applies to the decimals. Note that floating point numbers in scientific notation are ignored for the purpose of determining the decimals.

Dates and colours can be imported. For example:

date, c, x, y, z
2022-05-12, ff0000, 1, 2, 3
2021-08-30, 00ff00, 4, 5, 6

Can be imported using:

To give:

Use Template File

Select this option to base the structure of the Output file on a Template file.

The width and decimal precision of each field is based upon the values encountered when the rows of the file are are scanned. Values in the Input file are mapped sequentially to the fields in the Output file and data types are converted where necessary.

Specify the Name of the template file to be used for the structure of your output.

The Use Template File option

Output

In the Output group, you can specify and configure the output and report files for the Text Import.

Name

Specify the name and location of the Output file.

If you don't enter a value, the name and location of the output file will be auto-filled. If the path created for Autofill has the same extension as the input file path, _MM is appended to the output file name.

Optionally, you can apply a Filter.

The Output group options

Report File

Optionally, specify the name and location of a Report file. If the structure of the Input file is not accurately mapped to the Output file, then data may be lost during the import process. The details of any errors encountered during the import process will be written to the specified Report file.

Expand report to identify row number...

By default, the function will write a short error count for those rows that have missing, truncated, or erroneous data.

Select this check box to write a more verbose report that includes the row number and the detail of every error encountered during the import process.

The following errors are reported:

Error Code	Error	Description
ET_WRONG_NUMERIC_DATA = 1	Numeric expected.	A non-numeric token was encountered in a numeric field on this row. Allowable tokens are: 0123456789.+-<>
ET_WRONG_PRECISION_LENGTH	Insufficient precision.	The decimal precision of a value on this row is less than the decimal precision of the field (defined in the Output file or determined during scanning).
ET_WRONG_DATA_LENGTH	Value truncated. ¹	A value on this row is longer than the width of the field (defined in the Output file or determined during scanning).
ET_LONG_RECORD	Value missing. ¹	The number of values encountered on this row is less than the number of fields (defined in the Output file or determined during scanning).
ET_SHORT_RECORD	Extra value. ¹	The number of values encountered on this row is greater than the number of fields (defined in the Output file or determined during scanning).

1 Data may be lost if blank or truncated values are written to the Output file. If extra values are encountered, they are NOT written to the Output file.

Use extended character set

With the check box selected, the output file will be created as a Unicode Text Format (UTF-8) file, which provides support for extended character sets and is ideal for multilingual workplaces.

Auto open file for editing

Select this option to open the file for editing in the File Editor once it has been .

Auto load in Vizex (if applicable)

The Auto load in Vizex option, when selected, indicates that (where applicable) the output file will be opened in Vizex on creation.

The Report File options

When you click Run to run the Import process, if the specified output file already exists, you will be given the option of overwriting the file, or appending data to the file.

Press ESC to interrupt the process at any time. After running the Import, check the Report file for errors.

Forms

Click the Forms button to select and open a saved form set, or if a form set has been loaded, save the current form set