How to add new .csv file as data source

daveporter99 · General User Joined: 22 Sep 2005 Posts: 8

Hi Everyone,

Keen to download and test the 2 - RC1 candidate to test this.

How do I add csv files as data sources.
If I do it in the Options, it never works ( it accepts the file I pick, but won't expose the fields )

What I have to do is run through the mail merge wizard, select the file, then cancel the wizard and the data source is installed ok ( e.g. for use in the New >> Labels

But this is somewhat un-elegant.

Am I missing something ?

regards, Dave Porter

DrewJensen · Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 9:18 pm Post subject:

File>New>Database

From the databse wizard choose.

Choose - Connect to an existing database. (radio button)

In the drop down box just below this select TEXT

select the NEXT button.

You will enter the path to a directory that contains the files you want to treat as tables in this databse.
You can choose to have this database open *.csv, *.txt or *.(you name it) as these tables.
You will see settings for describing how the columns are denoted, etc on this page also.

When you are done setting up the options hit NEXT, give the new ODB file a name.

That should do it for you.

HTH

Drew Jensen
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Blog - http://baseanswers.spaces.live.com/

daveporter99 · General User Joined: 22 Sep 2005 Posts: 8

Hi Drew,

Thanks for you help - that's becoming clearer now.

One thing ( and maybe it is not that important ) - How can a choose comma as the dlimiter and ignore the thousands separator ? It won't allow them to be the same, so I changed the thousands separator to ' . ', but then it won't proceed as that is the same as the decimal separator ? I blanked it out in the end, but not sure what the ramifications of that are ?

regards, Dave Porter

DrewJensen · Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2005 1:08 am Post subject:

Dave,

Not really sure if there will be any ramifications. But haven't tried enough combinations like that to tell you anything one way or the other. Sorry.

Drew
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Blog - http://baseanswers.spaces.live.com/

daveporter99 · General User Joined: 22 Sep 2005 Posts: 8

Thanks Drew,

I guess it just appeard to me to be a catch-22 situation and maybe something someone should look at the make it more friendly.

I am just putting together a tutorial for my clients and this seemed to throw a spanner in the works.

Will push on !

cheers, Dave

DrewJensen · Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2005 5:15 am Post subject:

You knowwwww Dave..

There seems to be a real dirth of documentation on Base.

If you are creating a tutorial, I bet the the folks over on the OOOAuthors site would really appreciate a version...

Drew
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Blog - http://baseanswers.spaces.live.com/

daveporter99 · General User Joined: 22 Sep 2005 Posts: 8

Hi Drew,

Yes, it had occured to me to submit the tutorial once it is finished....

regards, Dave