From csv to db with dbimport: Howto?

The subject line says it all. I have pored over a myriad of on-line docs, and yet have no idea what is the proper ascii format my old data file needs to have. Also, the attendant schema file is alleged to require a format so that dbimport will actually create a database. My basic plan is to take the data out of a spreadsheet in csv format, read it into Informix SE, and enjoy life to the fullest. :^) Please point me to a good reference, or if it is short and sweet, RSVP. Chris

Hi Chris In general the format that most informix people are familiar with is pipe delimited data. Hence a normal data file will look like : - field 1|field 2| etc | etc | As your data is in csv format you have a couple of choices ignored to load it into the database. There is an informix env variable called $DBDELIMITER which you could set or you could use the following bit of shell to swap the commas to pipes. #!/bin/ksh for file in $(ls *csv) do echo "Transforming ${file} from csv to unl" cat ${file} | sed -e 's/,/|/g > $(echo ${file} | awk -F'.' '{printf("%s.unl\\n", $1);}') done exit 0 Either if the above will get your data into the correct format. You also mentioned about using dbimport to get both the database and data into Informix SE. This is going to be a little more fun for you. dbimport have very specific rules about directory naming and the command lines contained within the .SQL file. If you really want to do this create an informix demo database and perform a dbexport. From this you will get the format of the file and hence be able to change it. However, if I was you I would not bother. I would be more tempted to just create my database and them use SQL to load my datafiles. Again, this is something that could be done from shell script. Regards Sean bobnospam@khusro.math.umn.edu wrote in message <1999Feb12.152326@khusro.math.umn.edu>... >The subject line says it all. I have pored over a myriad of on-line >docs, and yet have no idea what is the proper ascii format my old >data file needs to have. Also, the attendant schema file is alleged >to require a format so that dbimport will actually create a database. > >My basic plan is to take the data out of a spreadsheet in csv >format, read it into Informix SE, and enjoy life to the fullest. :^) > >Please point me to a good reference, or if it is short and sweet, >RSVP. > >Chris

Hi Chris, I have written a program that you can use to port the data. It is called WinSQL and allows you to port data from one database to other. You will need an ODBC driver for informix and text files. Go to http://www.imranweb.com/freesoft and get WinSQL Professional. Thanks, Imran. bobnospam@khusro.math.umn.edu wrote: > > The subject line says it all. I have pored over a myriad of on-line > docs, and yet have no idea what is the proper ascii format my old > data file needs to have. Also, the attendant schema file is alleged > to require a format so that dbimport will actually create a database. > > My basic plan is to take the data out of a spreadsheet in csv > format, read it into Informix SE, and enjoy life to the fullest. :^) > > Please point me to a good reference, or if it is short and sweet, > RSVP. > > Chris -- =========================================== Imran Hussain MCP, MCSD imranh@imranweb.com For FREE Software http://www.imranweb.com/freesoft ===========================================

You should use dbload instead of dbimport. dbimport will create and load complete database. dbload can load specific tables, and you can specify format (fixed or csv), together with number of lines to be loaded between comits, error handling etc. Details and formats can be found in IDS Administrator's guide. Regards ============================== Slobodan Zorko Alfatec Group 10000 Zagreb, Kranjceviceva 36, CROATIA email: slobodan.zorko@zg.tel.hr begin 666 Sobodan Zorko.vcf M0D5'24XZ5D-!4D0-"E9%4E-)3TXZ,BXQ#0I..EIO<FMO.U-O8F]D86X-"D9. M.E-O8F]D86X@6F]R:V\\-"D]21SI!;&9A=&5C($=R;W5P#0I4251,13I496-H M(%-U<'!O;W)T#0I414P[5T]22SM63TE#13HK,S@U("@Q*2 S-C0W(# W-PT* M5$5,.U=/4DL[1D%8.BLS.#4@*#$I(#,V-#8@-S<U#0I!1%([5T]22SH[.TMR M86YJ8V5V:6-E=F$@,S8[6D%'4D5".TA2.S$P,# P.T-23T%424$-"DQ!0D5, M.U=/4DL[14Y#3T1)3D<]455/5$5$+5!224Y404),13I+<F%N:F-E=FEC979A M(#,V/3!$/3!!6D%'4D5"+"!(4B Q,# P,#TP1#TP04-23T%424$-"E523#H- M"E523#IH='1P.B\\O=W=W+F%L9F%T96,N:'(-"D5-04E,.U!2148[24Y415). M150Z<V]B;V1A;BYZ;W)K;T!Z9RYT92YH<@T*4D56.C$Y.3DP,C$U5#$P-3@P /-%H-"D5.1#I60T%21 T* ` end

In article <1999Feb12.152326@khusro.math.umn.edu>, bobnospam@khusro.math.umn.edu writes: |> The subject line says it all. I have pored over a myriad of on-line |> docs, and yet have no idea what is the proper ascii format my old |> data file needs to have. Also, the attendant schema file is alleged |> to require a format so that dbimport will actually create a database. |> |> My basic plan is to take the data out of a spreadsheet in csv |> format, read it into Informix SE, and enjoy life to the fullest. :^) |> |> Please point me to a good reference, or if it is short and sweet, |> RSVP. |> |> Chris Many thanks for all the help. Chris