Category : Paradox DBMS
Archive   : TECH91.ZIP
Filename : TI777.ASC

PRODUCT : Paradox NUMBER : 777
VERSION : All
OS : DOS
DATE : September 11, 1991 PAGE : 1/2

TITLE : Exporting a fixed length ASCII from Paradox




Exporting a Fixed Length ASCII
File from Paradox

This document describes how to create a Fixed Length ASCII file
using the Paradox report generator.

Paradox will let you export a delimited ASCII file from within
the menu system. This is an ASCII file where each line is a new
record, with delimiters around the fields (usually the quote mark
<">) and separators between the fields (usually the comma
character <,>).

Some applications will import a fixed length file. This is an
ASCII file where each line represents a new record, but there are
no delimiters or separators. Instead each field occupies the
same number of characters whether or not the data actually fills
up the whole field. Where the data is shorter in length than a
particular field has been defined, spaces will be added to allow
the next field to begin at its proper position.

To output a fixed length ASCII file from Paradox you will need to
use the report generator:

Pick {Report} {Design} from the Paradox main menu. Specify your
table and choose an unused report specification. After entering
the description you will be asked if you want a tabular or free-
form report; choose {Tabular}.

Remove all headers and footers by pressing while at the
left margin. Remove all lines within the table band except the
line containing your field masks (the AAAs and 999s).

Your resulting report definition should look like the following:

PageÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÂTableÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄ
AAAAA 999999999 AAAAAA AA AAA 999999 AA 999999999999
ÁTableÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄ
PageÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ

You can adjust your starting and ending field position for your
fixed output file as needed.














PRODUCT : Paradox NUMBER : 777
VERSION : All
OS : DOS
DATE : September 11, 1991 PAGE : 2/2

TITLE : Exporting a fixed length ASCII from Paradox




Your page length should be set to continuous: {Settings}
{PageLayout} {Length} set your length to .

Your page width should be set for at least as many characters as
are in one record. Use {Setting} {PageLayout} {Width}. You can
see what the number of characters is by using your right arrow to
move to the far right of your report to see what character number
it ends on.

If you are using a setup string, remove it. Use {Settings}
{Setup} {PreDefined} and Select {StandardPrinter}. This must not
be using any Setup String.

Save the report with .

Next, pick {Report} {Output} {File} and choose a name for your
new Fixed Length file.