The data conversion utility in FlexMail allows you to convert databases from any of the formats that FlexMail can read to any of the database formats that FlexMail can create and write to. The function is especially useful when you have data that you want to modify with FlexMail, but is in a format that FlexMail cannot update, e.g. text files. You can then use the Convert Data function to convert the data to a format that FlexMail can modify, e.g. Access or dBase.
You can convert any data type FlexMail can link to: Microsoft Access databases, Paradox, dBase, Microsoft Excel, HTML files, XML files, Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheets, fixed-width text files, delimited text files, and any other database for which an ODBC driver is available (see About Databases). In addition, the convert function allows you to link to text files that contain multiple lines per record (see Linking multi-line text files).
You can convert data to a variety of supported databases and file formats. FlexMail contains built-in drivers that enable you to write the following types of data: Microsoft Access, dBase, Microsoft Excel, HTML, XML, and fixed-width and delimited text files.
Besides changing the database format during a conversion you can select the fields you want to export and arrange the order of these fields within the records.
Note: Unlike most functions in FlexMail that work with data, the data conversion function works independent from the data that is currently displayed in the datasheet. Data conversion allows you to select both the source file as well as the destination file.
You set up a data conversion task by completing the steps that are presented to you by the Convert Data wizard. The choices you make here identify the source and destination files, the format of the destination file, and which records will be copied.
To convert a file:Click the Convert Data command in the Tools group on the Data Tools tab that is active when datasheet is shown.
The Convert Data wizard opens.
In the first step of the wizard you select the source file you want to convert and specify the output format by selecting a name and file type for the destination file. Click Browse to navigate to the directory and select or enter a file name for the source and destination files.
Click Next.
The Output Fields dialog of the wizard is displayed. The list contains all the fields in the source file. By default all are checked. Uncheck the fields that you do not want to copy to the destination file. Use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to change the order of the fields in the destination file.
Click Next.
The Error Handling dialog of the wizard opens. Through this dialog you can instruct FlexMail what you want to do when an error occurs during copying of the data to the destination file. See Error Handling for more information.
Click Start to start the conversion.
FlexMail begins copying records and shows the progress of the conversion. At the end of the conversion process, the dialog box is replaced by the Conversion Results showing you a summary of the results.
Click Finish.
Some text files, e.g. exported tables by Microsoft Word, contain multiple lines per record. FlexMail cannot link to those files directly. However, you can convert such a multiple line text file to one of the normal database formats FlexMail supports.
FlexMail allows you to convert both multi-line text files that contain a fixed number of lines per record or multi-line files that have a variable number of lines per record and a separator that marks the end of a record. You can specify all settings and review the results of each setting in the Multi-line Text Conversion wizard.
To link a multi-line text file:Click the Convert Data command in the Tools group on the Data Tools tab that is active when datasheet is shown.
The Convert Data wizard opens.
Click Browse to select a source file.
In the Link Data dialog box, select Multi-line Text Files (*.txt).
Select the drive and folder where the file is located and select the file.
Select Open.
The Multi-line Text Conversion wizard opens.
Follow the directions in the Multi-line Text Conversion dialog boxes.