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Richard PottsSubject: Convert tab delimited to XML
Author: Richard Potts
Date: 31 Jan 2006 10:39 AM
I've got some data in an Excel file that I wish to convert to xml, so I've been trying to use the Convert to XML tool.

In MS-Excel, I export the data as tab delimited and import into Stylus studio. Result: The post code and telecom fields do not get populated. - (I think this is due to the fact that there some blank fields in the data – I think this may be a bug. Or is there one of the 'properties' settings I need to set for such a situation.?

Not giving up I tried to export the data from Excel in CSV file format. This time Stylus studio seemed to do as I expected, i.e. correctly identified postcode and telecom fields. However some of the fields contain commas within them so this has confused the parser and thinks there is more fields than there actually is.

Without modifying my data, can you suggest a way I can import the data into Stylus studio to maintain the data in the correct fields.

Your help would be much appreciated.

I attach some sample data



System details:

Stylus studio 6 xml professional build (287n)
1.5.0_02-b09 Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM Sun Microsystems Inc.
debug mode port:8000

Windows 2000
Excel 2000 SP3


Unknowndealers.xls
Original Excel File

Unknowndealers-tab.txt
Dealers tab del file

Unknowndealers-csv.csv
dealers csv file

Unknowndealers-csv.conv
conv file

Unknowndealers-tab.conv
tab conv file

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Tony LavinioSubject: Convert tab delimited to XML
Author: Tony Lavinio
Date: 31 Jan 2006 12:58 PM
You may use the tab-delimited format.

Open it in Convert-to-XML, and change the following two properties and
you should be pleased with the results:

1. Collapse Consecutive Delimiters: false
2. Element Name Source: From First Row

What is happening is that by default, consecutive delimiters are
removed, but that is messing up your columns. So changing that
property makes things align.

The second property change lets you get the first names right from
your input file.

Postnext
Richard PottsSubject: Convert tab delimited to XML
Author: Richard Potts
Date: 01 Feb 2006 06:24 AM
Originally Posted: 01 Feb 2006 06:25 AM
Hi Tony,

Thanks for the advice but still having problems.

What I'm doing:
1) File | New | Convert to XML
2) I select the file dealers-tab.txt
3) I leave the default settings for 'encoding' and 'general layout'
4) File loads
5) I set 'Element Name Source' property to 'From First Row' - change is immediatley reflected on screen.
6) I set 'Collapse Consecutive Separators' to 'false' - No change on screen detected.

If I then click somewhere else on the file area of the screen 'Collapse Consecutive Separators' automatically changes back to 'true'. ?? - thought this was a file property rather than a field/column property.

So basically struggling in getting 'Collapse Consecutive Separators' to be set to 'false' as you suggested.

User error?

I attach the resulting conv file.



UnknownTony.conv

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Tony LavinioSubject: Convert tab delimited to XML
Author: Tony Lavinio
Date: 01 Feb 2006 09:16 AM
Try the attached; you're right, for some reason the value didn't
stick in your copy. I tested here, and it works fine. Here is
the fixed .conv file.
If this works okay, we'll see what we can do to figure out why the
value in your copy isn't sticking.


DocumentTony(1).conv

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Richard PottsSubject: Convert tab delimited to XML
Author: Richard Potts
Date: 02 Feb 2006 04:38 AM
Tony,

Thanks for your help. Your conv file works fine for me.

Postnext
Richard PottsSubject: Convert tab delimited to XML
Author: Richard Potts
Date: 02 Feb 2006 05:59 AM
I spoke too soon. I've now got a new Problem with same converter:

Now that the text is aligned in the correct columns (using your conv file). I modified the conv file so that it adds the tag names I require and changed the fields to attributes.

I also want every field to appear in the output xml even if the field is empty. Hence I've set the "Omit from Output" property to "Never". I run the "Preview Result" and the output appears in the preview window as I expect it. Ie. Empty fields appear.

If I then go to File|Open select my tab delimited file and click the "Convert to XML using adapter", select the conv file I've just made. The empty fields do NOT appear in the output!??

I attach my new conv file.


Unknowndealers.conv

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Tony LavinioSubject: Convert tab delimited to XML
Author: Tony Lavinio
Date: 03 Feb 2006 12:21 AM
A couple of minor points:

Looking at your data, the input Encoding is windows-1252, not utf-8.
That will make the ß (sharp-S) look right.

Also, the delimiter Pairs should be '"','"' not blank, since Excel
will still wrap fields with embedded commas with double-quotes.

And a slightly bigger one.

You've discovered a bug. The code that emits attributes will never
generate them if they are empty. That will be fixed in our next
release of 2006, the 501i patch. How serious is getting those empty
attributes for you? Can we help with a work-around in the meantime?

 
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