Description: AppleWorks: Creating database documents from text with tabs
Header: AppleWorks: Creating database documents from text with tabs

 Some database programs export text files that have fields separated by tabs
 and records by carriage returns. AppleWorks imports a database file from a
 text file when all fields and records are separated by carriage returns. To
 convert the tabbed export format to the format AppleWorks imports, you must
 use a word processing application or a programming language, such as BASIC or
 Pascal, whether or not you have to transfer the data from the Macintosh.

 Using a word processing application, open the document and change the tabs to
 carriage returns with a replace command. Most applications have special codes
 for the tab and carriage return, such as ^t and ^p in MicroSoft Word. Save
 the changes as a text file, which AppleWorks should accept.

 For using a programming language, take this example in Applesoft BASIC under
 ProDOS.

 10 ONERR GOTO 130
 20 O$="<OLD FILE NAME>"
 30 N$="<NEW FILE NAME>"
 40 D$=CHR$(4)
 50 PRINT D$"OPEN"O$
 60 PRINT D$"OPEN"N$
 70 PRINT D$"READ"O$
 80 GET A$
 90 PRINT D$"WRITE"N$
 100 IF A$=CHR$(9) THEN A$=CHR$(13)
 110 PRINT A$;
 120 GOTO 70
 130 PRINT D$"CLOSE"
 140 END

 This program should be saved, along with the exported text file, to a ProDOS
 disk; save the program with a name such as "TAB2CR". After substituting
 appropriate names in lines 20 and 30, run the program. AppleWorks should
 accept the output file.

 Here is a MacPascal program that could convert the export file of a Macintosh
 application such as MacWorks.

 program Convert;
 type
  text = file of char;

 var
  infile, outfile : text;
  c : char;

 begin
 {an example pathname could be 'HD:MS Works:ExportFile'}
 open(infile, 'export file pathname');
 open(outfile, 'AppleWorks format file pathname');
 while not (eof(infile)) do
  begin
   read(infile, c);
   if ord(c) = 9 then
    begin
    c := chr(13);
    end;
   write(c);   {echo to screen}
   write(outfile, c);
  end;
 close(infile);
 close(outfile);
 end.

 Substitute appropriate names for "export file pathname" and "AppleWorks
 format file pathname". After transferring the output file to the Apple II
 (with MS Works or MacTerminal), save the captured file as a text file.
 AppleWorks should accept the captured file.
 Apple Technical Communications


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