Re: Converting xy to dbf

[Norman Bauman nbauman@xxxxxxxx]

I imported XyWrite files into databases all the time, and it was pretty
easy once I figured it out.

You could do it a lot of ways. The easiest way depends on what programs you
have around and what programs you're most familiar with.

The database program I used most was PC-File, a shareware program. It had a
menu that would allow me to import a database (I assume all databases do).
I'd choose the format of the file that I was importing -- comma-delimited,
carrier-return-delimited, etc., and import it into the program, which would
convert it to a DBF file. I imported a lot of name, address and phone
number files.

I usually used text files with a carrier return at the end of every field.
I had to clean them up a bit, because if one record had one line too many
or too few, everything after that was offset by 1 field, and I had to
change it and import it all over. (People who follow molecular biology will
recognize the resemblance to a deletion mutation.)

However, if you have comma-delimited fields with carrier returns at the end
of every record, that would be even easier.

XyWrite 3 was particularly useful for cleaning up text files to import into
databases. If the original file had delineation characters that weren't
compatible with the database, I could search and replace with characters
that were. Or I could get rid of extraneous text (like that parenthesis in
your example) with search and replace. I used the Window size screen,
ctrl-F10, to set up a window that had exactly the right number of lines, so
I could review the text file with Page Down, which makes it very easy to
see whether it had the right number of lines. I also used XyWrite to search
and replace date formats from e.g. November 20, 2003 to 20031120, to get it
into a format that the database program would recognize.

Another way I did it was by importing it into Lotus 1-2-3 or its shareware
clones. I think Lotus 1-2-3 will automatically convert comma-delineated
text files into standard Lotus .wk1 files, and then you can export it as
.dbf files.

Another way I did it was with WordPerfect tables. Once again, if you're
familiar with WordPerfect or Word, that might be easier.

Norman


At 10:10 AM 11/20/03 -0800, AndyCh wrote:
>
>I have a long xy file with records like this
>
>24)...
>25) Title *****, Code *****, 1=*****,2=*****, 3=*****
>26)...
>
>and I've to tranfer all data to a .dbf file.
>
>Any suggestions ??
> Thanks.
>
>
>A.C.
>
>
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Norman Bauman
411 W. 54 St. Apt. 2D
New York, NY 10019
(212) 977-3223
http://www.nasw.org/users/nbauman
Alternate address: nbauman@xxxxxxxx
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