Subject Re: csv import into dbf From Akshat Kapoor <akshat.kapoor@kapoorsons.in> Date Sun, 18 Aug 2024 14:36:30 +0530 Newsgroups dbase.getting-started Good Evening Mervyn, >> I would like to allow the user to import a csv file with headers I >> suppose or in a certain order, into my table.  I know how to export to >> csv from a table, but am not sure how to start with import.  Any ideas >> or suggestions?  Thanks > > Appending from a .csv file can be very simple or it can be fairly complex. > > dBASE has a built-in mechanism for appending from .csv files but it has > severe limitations. > > use whatever.dbf > append from whatever.csv delimited > use > > The limitations are that dates in the .csv file must be in the format > ...,yyyymmdd,... i.e no delimiter and no separator between year, month > and day.  It can't import into a memo field and it can't handle a .csv > file that has field names in the first line.  Basically, it can only > deal with .csv files created using the dBASE command  COPY TO > whatever.csv DELIMITED > > Very few, if any, applications can handle, or create, .csv files that > meet these criteria so I created append_from_csv.prg which is in the > dUFLP. By setting various switches one should be able to import > virtually any .csv file. > > As you have the field headers in your .csv file I assume you have used > usv_out.prg from the dUFLP to create it with dates in "mm/dd/yyyy" format. > > If so, > > set procedure to :duflp:append_from_csv.prg > append_from_csv('whatever.dbf',whatever.csv','a',true) > > > should do the trick.  As the switch to skip the first line is the 4th > parameter the third parameter (the date setting) also need to be set. > > If it doesn't import correctly it means that there are other switches > that need to be set.  If you can't figure them out post the first data > line in your .csv file. I agree with you on most counts. But it is not a thing that requires tooooo much coding if you opt in for DIY route. I have successfully imported from finger print attendance machine (the format/end of line marker of txt file is unix. And the date format is yyyy-mm-dd). Using file object open the source file. Read lines make desired alterations to the line and save it to a new file. That file is ready for append from ....... I have successfully imported from bank statements downloaded in the delimited format. Open the source file. Using breakstring() of stringex.cc in duflp and use the desired values to append rows into a table. And this is not counting the import from a csv that I have created in excel. Yes the coding has to be meticulous. You have to know the source precisely but after that it is not that difficult Regards Akshat