Exporting Collections to External Files

You can export the data in a collection to an external file, which in turn can be imported into another application. Field values in the external file can be separated by either commas or tabs. Each record in the collection becomes a row in the exported file. Each field or property becomes a column.

If you want to export the files to a spreadsheet, you can use the To Excel option instead of this process.

Note: 
  • By default, columns in the file are ordered left-to-right according to an internal property list. The order does not necessarily follow the order of columns in any grid shown on the form. However, if you use the To Excel menu option, and the currently selected field is either in a grid or has a related grid on the form, you can choose whether the spreadsheet should match the sequence of columns in the related grid or the order of the internal property list.
  • In the spreadsheet, columns are created for the data or property for each visible component on the form. If more than one visible component is bound to the same data, for example, a grid column and a combo box, there is just one column in the export. Columns that are hidden on the form are still included in the export if other visible components are bound to the same property.
  • Rows with multi-line fields that contain carriage returns and line feeds do not export to a file in a regular way. To export these rows, you must copy the collection to a spreadsheet. See Copying Data to/from a Spreadsheet.

To export a collection to an external file:

  1. Open the form and display the collection that you want to export.
  2. Select Form > Export to File.
  3. In the Export Collection to File dialog box in the Windows client, or the Export to File dialog box in the web client, specify this information:
    Source Collection
    Select the name of the collection you want to export.

    If you do not know the name, return to the form and click a section of the form that displays the collection. To see the name of the current collection, click Help > About This Form.

    Cap Option or Data Record Cap
    Select one of these options:
    • From data currently in the collection: Select this option to export only the records currently displayed in the collection.
    • Unlimited query (may be limited by the site administrator): Select this option to retrieve and export all records that match the current filter criteria.
    Output File Type
    Select one of these options:
    • Comma-separated: Select this option to generate output with quotation marks around each string item and then separated with commas, for example:

      "doejo",4,"",1,"john.doe@acmemfg.com","",

    • Tab-separated: Select this option to generate output with tabs between fields, for example:

      doejo      4               1       john.doe@acmemfg.com             

    Note:  Ensure that the external application in which you want to view the collection supports the format you select here.
    Output File Name
    Specify the file name of the external file to be created.

    If you do not specify a file name, the name of the selected collection is used.

    Browse
    Click this button to locate the folder where the file is to be saved, or specify the destination folder.

    If you do not specify a path, a dialog box will prompt you to specify the destination folder.

    This button and field is not available in the web client.

  4. Click OK.

In the Windows client, the system saves the file in the specified destination folder.

In the web client, the system generates the file, then starts a download to the user’s browser.

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