importline
TEXT
,
OPTION
,
VALUE
The importline statement imports a line of text into the current record.
Parameters
This statement has three parameters:
text – text to import. (If you want to import text from a file, use the fileload( function to generate this parameter value).
option – An option for customizing the way the import works. See below for descriptions of each option. The option can be specified in either upper or lower case.
value – The value for this option.
Description
This statement imports text into the current record, replacing whatever is already in the record. The text should be a single line organized into fields separated either by commas (often called comma separated text, or CSV), or by tabs. In its simplest form you simply supply the data to be imported:
importline "Wilson,Smith,289 Markle Place,Pleasantville,AX"
IMPORT OPTIONS
In addition to the text to import, you can also specify multiple option/value pairs in a single importline statement, like this:
importline text,option1,value1,option2,value2,option3,value3
The possible options are separator, quote, excessfieldserror, addfields and rearrange. Each of these options is described in detail below.
SEPARATOR
The importtext statement normally automatically figures out whether the columns in the imported text are separated by commas or tabs. (It does this by scanning the first line of the text, if it doesn’t find any tabs, it assumes the text is comma separated.) You can use this option to explicitly specify the column separator character.
importline sometext,"Separator","," ☞ comma separated
importline sometext,"Separator",tab() ☞ tab separated
importline sometext,"Separator",";" ☞ semicolon separated
QUOTE
When importing comma separated text, the * importline* statement normally ignores commas inside quoted text. This allows commas to appear in the data itself, like this:
"Washington, George",Virginia
"Adams, John",Masachusetts
"Jefferson, Thomas",Virginia
Quoted text can also contain quotes, like this:
"Washington said ""I cannot tell a lie"",false
This option allows you to change the quote character, or you can specify ""
to disable this special quote processing altogether, like this:
importline Presidents,"Quote",""
Note: Special quote processing is normally disabled when importing tab delimited text, you can use this option to enable it.
EXCESSFIELDSERROR
If the imported text contains more columns than the database, the extra columns are normally ignored. Use this option if you would like an error to occur in this situation:
importline Presidents,"EXCESSFIELDSERROR","TRUE"
The next option describes an alternate way to handle excess fields – add them to the database!
ADDFIELDS
The importline statement normally ignores any extra fields in the imported text. Another option is to actually add additional fields to the database to accomodate the extra data.
importline meterReadings,"AddFields","YES"
Any new fields added will be assigned alphabetical field names – E, F, G, H, etc.
Note: The importline statement handles this option differently than the importtext statement. For the importline statement, this option defaults to OFF, and no error is generated if there are excess fields (unless you set the excessfieldserror option, see above).
REARRANGE
The * importline* statement normally imports data in left to right order – the leftmost column of the imported text is imported into the first database field, the next column is imported into the second field, etc. The rearrange option allows this order to be changed, or can even be used to combine, ignore, or otherwise manipulate the imported data as it is brought into the database. (Legacy note: The rearrange option performs the same function as the importusing statement in previous versions of Panorama.)
Using the rearrange option, you specify a formula that is used to process the import data. This formula is “inserted” into the middle of the import process. The formula must be designed to take in a line of text, then transform it into a different line of text. The * importline* statement uses this formula to transform each raw line of the import data into a new, manipulated line. This new manipulated line is then imported into the database instead of the original line.
Panorama has a two special functions that allow the import translation formula to access the line that has been read from the disk: import( and importcell(. The import( function returns the entire line that has been imported. The importcell( function has one parameter that specifies the number of the cell you want, for example importcell(1)
or importcell(14)
. (Note that importcell( uses 0 for the leftmost field, not 1).
For more information and examples of this option, see the importtext statement.
See Also
- @import --
- Importing a Panorama 6 Database -- Importing a Panorama 6 Database
- addfield -- adds a new field to the current database (on the end).
- addlines -- adds a specified number of records to the end of a database.
- addrecord -- adds a new record at the end of the current database.
- arraybuild -- builds an array by scanning a database and creating an array element for every record (including invisible records) in the database (see Text Arrays).
- arraybuild( -- builds an array by scanning a database and creating an array element for every record (including invisible records) in the database (see Text Arrays).
- arrayselectedbuild -- builds an array by scanning a database and creating an array element for every visible (selected) record in the database (see Text Arrays).
- arrayselectedbuild( -- builds an array by scanning a database and creating an array element for every visible (selected) record in the database (see Text Arrays).
- autoallfieldwidths -- automatically sets the width of all fields based on the data in each field.
- autofieldwidth -- automatically sets the width of the current field based on the data in it.
- automaticfieldchoices -- updates the current field's Choice list with actual data in the database.
- cell -- enters a value into the currently active field (i.e. cell).
- clearcell -- deletes the contents of the current field.
- clearrecord -- deletes the currently selected record.
- closefile -- closes the current database.
- commonfieldspopup -- pops up a list of common fields, and changes the current field specifications when a field is chosen from this menu.
- constructfields -- creates one or more new fields based on a template.
- copycell -- copies the contents of the current field onto the clipboard,
replacing anything previously on the clipboard.
- copyrecord -- copies the contents of the current record onto the clipboard.
- Creating a New Database -- creating a new database.
- cutcell -- delete the contents of the current cell and places the deleted data on the clipboard.
- cutline -- copies the current record to the clipboard and deletes it.
- cutrecord -- copies the current record to the clipboard and deletes it.
- databaseexportcsv -- exports selected records in the current database in CSV format (comma separated) to a text file.
- databaseexportjson -- exports selected records in the current database in JSON format to a text file.
- databaseexporttsv -- exports selected records in the current database in TSV format (tab separated) to a text file.
- databaseexportusingformula -- exports selected records in the current database to a text file, using a formula.
- datatype( -- determines what kind of data is in a field or variable: text, number, etc.
- datavalue( -- returns the value of a field or variable: text, number, etc.
- dbcheckopen( -- returns true if the specified database is currently open, false if it is not.
- dbinfo( -- gets information about a database: what forms it contains, what fields, what flash art pictures, etc.
- deleteabove -- copies the current record to the clipboard and deletes it, then moves to the record above.
- deletefield -- deletes the current field from the database.
- deleterecord -- deletes the currently selected record.
- downrecord -- moves the cursor down one visible record.
- duplicaterecord -- duplicates the current record.
- editcell -- opens the edit window for the currently active field (or cell), highlighting the data, and allows you to edit that field.
- editcellstop -- opens the edit window for the currently active field (or cell), highlighting the data, and allows you to edit that field.
- emptydatabase( -- returns true if the current database is completely blank.
- emptyfield -- tells Panorama to move to the next available (empty) field in a series of line item fields.
- emptyline( -- returns true if the entire current record (all fields) is blank, otherwise it is false.
- excludefromrecentmenu -- excludes the next opened database from the Recent menu.
- export -- exports the selected rows in the current database into a text file.
- exportjson -- exports the current database in JSON format.
- fieldname -- changes the name of the current field.
- fieldtype -- changes the data type of the current field.
- fieldvalue( -- grabs the contents of a field in the current record of a database. You can grab data from the current database, or from another database.
- firstrecord -- makes the first visible (selected) record in the database the active record.
- formulacalc -- allows you to evaluate a formula that you were not able to
code into the procedure when it was being written.
- formulavalue -- calculates the result of a formula. Usually this is done with an assignment statement (for example `x=2 * y` ), but the *formulavalue* statement gives you more flexibility. You can specify what database is to be used for the calculation (an assignment statement always uses the current database) and you can specify the formula using a variable, making it easy to change on the fly. This statement also gives you more control over how errors are handled.
- formulavalue( -- calculates the result of a formula based on data in the current record of any open database. This is similar to the fieldvalue( function, but allows any formula to be used, rather than just a single field.
- getautonumber -- gets returns the automatically generated number for the next record that will be added to the database.
- getautonumber( -- returns the automatically generated number for the next record that will be added to the database.
- getfieldproperties( -- returns a dictionary containing all of the properties of the specified field. (See the setfieldproperties statement if you want to change one or more field properties.)
- getproceduretext -- gets the contents (source) of a procedure and places it in a variable.
- growl -- displays a notification.
- growlmessage -- displays a notification.
- importdatabase -- imports data from annother database into the current database.
- Importing Binary Data from Panorama 6 -- Importing Binary Data from Panorama 6
- importjson -- imports a JSON array into the current database.
- importjsonline -- imports a JSON record into the current record.
- importtext -- imports text into an existing database.
- info("databasefilename") -- returns the name of the file containing the current database.
- insertbelow -- inserts a new record below the current record.
- insertbelowcarriagereturn -- inserts a new record below the current record and moves to the first column.
- insertfield -- inserts a new field into the database in front of the current field.
- insertrecord -- inserts a new record above the current record.
- lastlookupdatabase( -- returns the name of the database referenced in the most recent lookup.
- lastrecord -- makes the last visible (selected) record in the database the active record.
- left -- makes the previous field active in the active window.
- listchoices( -- builds a text array containing a list of all the values stored in a specified field.
- lookup( -- searches a database for a value, then returns other information from the same record. For example, the *lookup(* function can look up a phone number given a customer name, or look up a price given a part number.
- lookupall( -- builds a text array containing one item for every record in the target database where the data in the keyField matches the keyData. Each item in the text array contains the value extracted from the dataField for that record. If the data field is a numeric or date field, it is converted to text using the default patterns for that field.
- lookupalldouble( -- is similar to the lookupall( function, but it returns two fields from the target database instead of just one.
- lookupalloctet( -- is similar to the lookupall( function, but it returns eight fields from the target database instead of just one.
- lookupallquadruple( -- is similar to the *lookupall(* function, but it returns four fields from the target database instead of just one.
- lookupallquintuplet( -- is similar to the *lookupall(* function, but it returns five fields from the target database instead of just one.
- lookupallseptuplet( -- is similar to the lookupall( function, but it returns seven fields from the target database instead of just one.
- lookupallsextet( -- is similar to the lookupall( function, but it returns six fields from the target database instead of just one.
- lookupalltriple( -- is similar to the lookupall( function, but it returns three fields from the target database instead of just one.
- lookuplast( -- searches the selected records in a database for a value, then returns other information from the same record. For example, the * lookuplast(* function can look up a phone number given a customer name, or look up a price given a part number. Unlike the lookup( function which searches from the top of the database, the *lookuplast(* function searches backwards from the bottom.
- lookuplastselected( -- searches the selected records in a database for a value, then returns other information from the same record. For example, the *lookuplastselected(* function can look up a phone number given a customer name, or look up a price given a part number. Unlike the lookupselected( function which searches from the top of the database, the *lookuplastselected(* function searches backwards from the bottom.
- lookupmoredata( -- looks up an additional data field based on the previous lookup.
- lookupmoreformula( -- looks up additional data based on a previous lookup.
- lookupselected( -- searches the selected records in a database for a value, then returns other information from the same record. For example, the *lookupselected(* function can look up a phone number given a customer name, or look up a price given a part number.
- movefieldbefore -- moves the current field to a new position.
- moverecorddown -- moves the current record down one line.
- moverecordup -- moves the current record up one line.
- newdatabase -- creates a new database.
- newdatabasewithfields -- creates a new database with one or more fields.
- newdatabasewithjson -- creates a new database using a JSON file.
- newdatabasewithtemplate -- creates a new database with a template.
- newdatabasewithtextfieldnames -- creates a new database from a text file. The text file must contain the field names in the first line.
- opendatabase -- opens a database file.
- openfile -- opens a database file. It can also import data from a text file, another database, or a variable into the current database.
- openplain -- opens a database without opening any pre-saved windows, just the data sheet.
- opensecret -- opens a database invisibly, without opening its windows.
- opentextfile -- imports data from a text file or a variable into the current database.
- pastecell -- pastes the contents of the clipboard into the current cell.
- pasteline -- inserts a new record containing the contents of the clipboard.
- pasterecord -- inserts a new record containing the contents of the clipboard.
- printpdf -- prints the current database to a PDF file.
- printpreview -- previews what printing the current window will look like.
- printpreviewonerecord -- previews what printing the current record will look like.
- recalculatefield -- recalculates all values in current field based on field's formula (selected records only).
- recompile -- recompiles all procedures in a database.
- right -- moves the cursor to the next field in the active window.
- runfieldcalculations -- performs any automatic calculations associated with the current field.
- runfieldcode -- runs the automatic code associated with the specified field.
- runfieldsideeffects -- performs any side effects associated with the current field (calculations, procedures, etc.).
- saveblueprint -- save a blueprint of a database's structure.
- setactivedatabase -- makes a database active (without changing the configuration of the windows).
- setautonumber -- changes the automatically generated number for the next record that will be added to database. This allows you to generate numbers out of sequence, or to start the sequence at a specific value.
- setdatabaseoptions -- modifies one or more properties of a database.
- setfieldnames -- changes the names of all database fields at once.
- setfieldproperties -- modifies one or more properties (name, data type, formula, etc.) of the current field.
- sizeof( -- calculates the amount of memory used by a field or a variable.
- superarraybuild -- scans a database to create a text array. This statement is is similar to arraybuild, but with a number of additional options (see Text Arrays).
- superlookup( -- searches a database for a record that matches a query formula, then uses a second formula to return other information from the same record. This is similar to the lookup( function, but instead of using an individual field for the key and data, any valid true/false (Boolean) formula can be used.
- table( -- searches a database for a value, then returns other information from the same record. Unlike the lookup( function, the *table(* function does not require an exact match. If it does not find an exact match the *table(* function will use the closest match. For example, the *table(* function can look up a tax rate given an income amount, or look up a shipping price given a zip code and weight.
- uniqueid( -- generates ID codes with a text root and a numeric suffix (for example `Jeff261`).
- unlockrecord -- unlocks the currently active record.
- uprecord -- moves the cursor up one visible record.
History
10.0 | New | New in this version. |