Linking to a text file

R

Ripper

I am working on a database for a school. They use an enrollment program that
will export data via a text file. Students are constantly checking in and
out of school.

What is the group's recommendation on linking to a text file?
 
A

Arvin Meyer

Open the Get External Data menu item in the File menu then just set the
filetype to text, either CSV or TXT and pick the filename. Simple as that.
You may need to delete or change headers until you get to the data itself,
but that can be done with Notepad.
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
Microsoft Access
Free Access Downloads
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access
 
L

Larry Daugherty

Hi,

You're unlikely to get many responses when you ask people to speak for the
group. No one can with any authority. We are an ad-hoc gathering of people
with common interests, we don't have elected leadership or representatives.

My response to your question is "Tell us more". You haven't given the
particulars of the format of the text file and whether you have any options
on the generation side.

HTH
 
R

Ripper

I am just broadening my horizons. I was unsure if it is wise to use a txt
file as a data source. I would only use the text file as my source of
student information. I can update it and export new data at any time.

I just wanted the real world experience to know if it is wise to use the
text file or is it better to make some kind of import macro and keep the
information in an Access table instead.

Thanks as Always,
RIP

Larry Daugherty said:
Hi,

You're unlikely to get many responses when you ask people to speak for the
group. No one can with any authority. We are an ad-hoc gathering of people
with common interests, we don't have elected leadership or representatives.

My response to your question is "Tell us more". You haven't given the
particulars of the format of the text file and whether you have any options
on the generation side.

HTH
Click to expand...
 
L

Larry Daugherty

Only you can answer such a question for you.

--
-Larry-
--

Ripper said:
I am just broadening my horizons. I was unsure if it is wise to use a txt
file as a data source. I would only use the text file as my source of
student information. I can update it and export new data at any time.

I just wanted the real world experience to know if it is wise to use the
text file or is it better to make some kind of import macro and keep the
information in an Access table instead.

Thanks as Always,
RIP
Click to expand...
 
A

Arvin Meyer

Ripper said:
I just don't know if having a text file table would make the database
unstable.
Click to expand...

Probably not, but that depends on what's being written to it and how. I've
use Excel files as linked tables and never had a problem, but no one ever
wrote to the file while I had it open. There is no locking mechanism for
external files, other than the operating system.

When you write to tables in a database engine, the engine provides a locking
mechanism (in Access, it's the LDB file)

Best practices would most likely not include linking to text files for
anything other than a quick import.
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
Microsoft Access
Free Access Downloads
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access
 
L

Larry Daugherty

While there is nothing inherently unstable about a text file, there is a
great deal of risk if people are entering data manually with Notepad or
similar. If you want to know if your data stream seems risky you'll have to
tell us what it is. That's generally a good rule about posting here. Give
the detailed information you have and then ask the question.

HTH
 
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