Data Import Formats
The following file formats can be selected as the file type for each data import.
Comma-Delimited File Format
The comma-delimited (or comma-separated values) file format is a file type that stores data in a text file with each field separated by a comma (,). Since this format dates back to the early days of business computing, it is generally the most common format used for data interchange between various software programs and computer platforms. It is the default for all standard data imports.
The comma-delimited file being imported would normally have either a .CSV or a .TXT file name extension, however files with any extension may be selected (see above). The file must be composed of ASCII characters. The following table discusses rules that are applied during the import of comma-delimited files by the data imports module.
Comma-Delimited File Format Rules
|
Rule |
Example |
|
The first record may optionally contain field names |
Name,Date,Quantity[CR][LF] |
|
Each record must be separated by either an ASCII carriage return character, an ASCII line feed character, or a carriage return and line feed pair |
"Jane
Doe",01/01/2006,55.99[CR][LF] |
|
Each field must be separated by a comma (,) |
"Jane Doe",01/01/2006,55.99 |
|
Fields containing a text value may optionally be enclosed in double quotation marks (") |
"Jane Doe" |
|
Where a field contains a text value that includes a double quotation mark character, an extra double quotation mark character is expected next to it ("") |
"John ""Bull"" Doe" |
|
Where a field contains a text value that includes line breaks, the entire text phrase, including the line breaks, must be included within enclosing double quotation marks |
"The item
was[CR][LF] |
|
Dates will be interpreted according to the configured Windows regional settings |
|
Tab-Delimited File Format
The tab-delimited file format is a file type that stores data in a text file with each field separated by an ASCII tab character. Since this format dates back to the early days of business computing, it is often supported for data interchange between various software programs and computer platforms.
The tab-delimited format being imported must have a .TXT file name extension, and it must be composed of ASCII characters. The following table discusses rules that are applied during the import of tab-delimited files by the data imports module.
Tab-Delimited File Format Rules
|
Rule |
Example |
|
The first record may optionally contain field names |
Name[TAB]Date[TAB]Quantity[CR][LF] |
|
Each record must be separated by either an ASCII carriage return character, an ASCII line feed character, or a carriage return and line feed pair |
"Jane Doe"[TAB]01/01/2006[TAB]55.99[CR][LF] |
|
Each field must be separated by an ASCII tab character |
"Jane Doe"[TAB]01/01/2006[TAB]55.99 |
|
Fields containing a text value may optionally be enclosed in double quotation marks (") |
"Jane Doe" |
|
Where a field contains a text value that includes a double quotation mark character, an extra double quotation mark character is expected next to it ("") |
"John ""Bull"" Doe" |
|
Where a field contains a text value that includes line breaks, the entire text phrase, including the line breaks, must be included within enclosing double quotation marks |
"The item
was[CR][LF] |
|
Dates will be interpreted according to the configured Windows regional settings |
|
Data Import Options