Delimited files

To create a new data format for a delimited file:

  1. Click Format Designer on the toolbar to open Format Designer.
  2. From the File menu, select New Format or click Create a new Format on the toolbar. The New Format dialog is displayed.
    Classification
    Select Delimited file.
    Name
    Specify a unique name for the new data format.
    Description
    Specify a description for the new data format.
  3. Click OK.
  4. Specify or amend the following details:
    Description
    The description entered for the data format.
    Initial lines to ignore
    The number of lines to ignore at the start of the external file. The default is 0.
    Field Separator
    The character used to separate fields in the delimited file. Select Comma, Tab, Space, Windows New Line, UNIX New Line or Other. Other allows you to enter specific characters, for example ';' semi-colon.
    Note: If you select a comma as a field separator you must not use it as decimal separator.
    Record Separator
    The type of separator used at the end of each record in the external file. Select Windows New Line, UNIX New Line or Other.

    Windows New Line is the default separator and is displayed in the script as record-sep="\r\n", that is, carriage return and new line. Other allows you to enter specific parameters, for example \t for tab.

    File contains column headings
    Check this check box if the external file contains an initial line that defines the column headings (or field names). This is counted after the number of lines to be ignored.
    See also Read File below.
    Fields
    The field names that define the data in the external file. Click in a row marked with '*' asterisk to enter new field names. These must conform to XML syntax. For example, they cannot start with numeric characters. The field names must also be unique within the field set.
    Read File
    To import existing field names from an example file, click Read File and browse to the location of your file. The field names are extracted and inserted into the rows, replacing any field names you have already defined.
    Note: To enable the Read File button you must check the File Contains Column Headings check box.
    Note: All files being imported must be in UTF-8 format.
    Insert
    Click Insert to add an additional new row above the currently selected row.
    Delete
    Click Delete to remove the currently selected row.

    To sort the order of the field names, select the field you want to move and click the up and down arrows.

  5. Click Save a Format on the toolbar, to save the data format to the database.
  6. Validate and test the data format.
  7. To view or edit the data format source code, see the topic 'Editing code in text view'.