Subject Re: modify table structure in program From Charlie <tm@tc.com> Date Sun, 06 Mar 2022 07:30:03 -0500 Newsgroups dbase.getting-started Hi Ken, Mervyn, Thanks so much. I woke up with a brainstorm this morning!  A solution I think I can handle.  Make the 'save as' table temporary then append or replace these new fields into a permanent table that may or may not have data.  I believe this is possible and probably easier for me.  Hopefully so. If I decide I need to go another way I'll attach the data to a future message.   Thanks again! Mervyn Bick Wrote: > On 2022/03/06 00:15, Charlie wrote: > > Hi...   I am importing a csv file by 'save as' a dbase table.  But I only have four fields in the csv file and I need to modify the table before opening the form with grid which specifies more fields.  As I understand 'save as' overwrites the table losing all structure.  Wondering if there is a way to add and modify fields using a program rather than manually modifying the structure? > > > > Thanks for any help. > > As Ken has pointed out the localSQL command ALTER TABLE, which can be > used in a little program, will add (or drop) fields from a table. > Details are in the dBASE help file. This will, however only add fields > after the existing fields in each record.  If you need the extra fields > interspersed between the four fields from the .csv file it can be done > but it needs an additional step using the SAVE TO option of the SELECT > command. > > The 'save as' suggests you are reading the .csv file into a spreadsheet > (perhaps Excel) and then saving to a .dbf file.  This is all very well > for dealing with an occasional .csv file.  If, on the other hand, you > have to deal regularly with similar data in a .csv file it is far more > productive to write a simple little program to import the .csv directly > into a .dbf file. > > If you post the structure of the .dbf file your grid needs and show > which fields need the data from the .csv file I can give you a little > example program. > > It will help if you can also provide a .csv file with, say, 5 records. > If the information is confidential then give details of how dates, > timestamps or logical values (if any) are presented in the .csv file. > > Would you want to create a separate .dbf for each .csv file or would you > want to append each .csv file to an existing .dbf file? > > Mervyn. > > > > > >