A2000 to A97: export specification issue

[A Coyle]

Hi

Question is listed at the end for those that may not need the following
descriptive details.


I have an A2000 database we convert to A97 for another system. The A97
database
is running on Win98. Development is done in A2000.

I have a query which has fields containing "special non-alphabet" characters
(not quite sure how else to describe them), eg the "(r)" character which is
r encapsulated within a circle, or the copyright symbol.

If I export (to csv) from the database window tables/queries containing
these characters they are exported correctly from both A2000 and A97, the
characters appear in the
resulting csv file.
If however I export these exact same queries from VB, using
Docmd.TransferText,
WITH NO EXPORT SPEC they are not exported correctly from the A97 system (eg
the (r) character turns into a plain r).

If I open the A97 database in A97 and create an export spec, the File Origin
is listed as (Windows ANSI), and it exports the query correctly formatted.

So observation 1: it appears that to correctly export these special
characters from VB in A97 I have to define an export spec. Correct? or is
there some way to do this without explicitly defining one (eg a system
setting)?


The obvious solution would appear to be to define an export spec in the
A2000 version. Unfortunately when we convert the database it does not like
the spec in A97, when you open it up the File Origin is empty/blank. The
A2000 spec is different to A97, it asks for "Language" and "Code Page" as
opposed to A97 which only asks for File Origin.


QUESTION: is there an A2000 export spec Language and Code Page that I can
select which will convert correctly into "FileOrigin: Windows ANSI" when we
convert the A2000 into A97?


All help greatly appreciated

A

 

[John Nurick]

Hi,

The best thing to do is to develop in Access 97 (or at least fix up the
converted database before putting it into production). I think what
you're hitting is a result of the change to Unicode text in Access 2000,
which necessitated a change in the text import specs.

Other possibilities:
- use schema.ini instead of an export spec (documentation at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/odbc/htm/odbcjetsdk_98.asp)

- avoid the issue by writing your own export code

- examine or modify the relevant entry in the undocumented
MSysIMEXSpecs table. Perhaps if you created a functioning export spec in
an Access 97 copy of the database and converted that to Access 2000 the
spec would be converted.