If your server is NT you can create an ODBC connection using the Microsoft
Text Driver (txt and csv). I've experimented with it just a bit and it
seems to work on very simple things. I would think that you'd want to weigh
how many steps you want to take manipulating and moving data. If the csv
driver works consistently, it might make things simpler. On the other hand,
if the data is in a database, you have a lot more flexibility. If you don't
need that flexibility, having fewer places where a breakdown could occur
might be preferable. I know that we have a few processes where we extract
information from an Informix database on Unix, have that data FTP'd to an NT
Server, then another process runs on the NT server to import the data.
Should be fine in a perfect world. But I don't live there! So occasionally
some part of that process doesn't automatically run and the update doesn't
happen. We're working on getting to the point where the NT application can
be updated directly from the Informix database. Less places to break.
Another consideration might be the long term plan for the current system.
If it's not ODBC, will it be down the road? I would think that the vendor
of the product would be moving in that direction. If so, a simple solution
might be fine. In that case I'd give the ODBC data source a try.
By the way, I usually just create my ODBC data sources right from the
control panel. So I'm not sure if you get all of those same options using
the CF Administrator. But if you don't, you should be able to just create
it from ODBC32 under the Control Panel.
Athelene
-----Original Message-----
From: Philip Arnold - ASP [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Friday, August 11, 2000 10:23 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: Newbie Question - Creating Data Source for CSV text file
> I have a customer that is a car dealership. They want to put their car
> inventory online.
> The company that makes their inventory database tells me that the
> data store
> is not ODBC compliant, but that they could output a CSV text file
> that they
> will auto-FTP to our servers in the middle of the night. Not exactly the
> most elegant solution, but it beats entering car data manually. :)
>
> Can I create an ODBC connection in the CF Administrator to use a CSV text
> file as a data source? I tried but I could not get it to verify the data
> source.
You can use CSV files for ODBC datasource, but don't! The main reason is
that ODBC holds onto sources like that once it's got them
2 Solutions;
Open the CSV using CFFile - it's just a comma separated list per line
Make a link table in Access which talks to the CSV - this is the much
preferred solution as you can actually run SQL queries on the data
This all assumes that the column list and names stay the same, and only the
data itself changes
Remember also that quotes screw up CSV files royally - so if they have any
in their descriptions (as in 14" wheels)
Philip Arnold
ASP Multimedia Limited
T: +44 (0)20 8680 1133
"Websites for the real world"
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