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Jay Lessik

Subject: Convert flat file with varying record formats
Author: Jay Lessik
Date: 12 Sep 2005 04:01 PM

Hello,

I would like to convert a flat file to XML. The characteristics of the flat file are:
- Multiple record types identified by the first 2 characters in each record (row)
- Fields are fixed width
- Field lengths (and names) are different for each type of record

For example, for record type 02 the fields are:
FileId - length 3
Name - length 20
Birthdate - length 8
Sample:
02XYZJohn_Smith__________01012005

But for record type 03 the fields are:
Street Number - length 6
Street Name - length 10
City - length 15

Sample:
03999___Main______CityName_______

NOTE: The underscores are actually spaces in the file. I put them here in case the board collapses whitespace.

I tried using the Convert to XML tool however it only allows me to specify the same number of fields and field lengths for each record. Is there any way to do this using Stylus Studio?

Thanks

Tony Lavinio

Subject: Convert flat file with varying record formats
Author: Tony Lavinio
Date: 13 Sep 2005 03:08 AM

The ability to have different record types with fixed-width fields
has been added to the next release of Stylus Studio, which is due
in the early fall.

Jay Lessik

Subject: Convert flat file with varying record formats
Author: Jay Lessik
Date: 08 Dec 2005 11:01 AM

Hi,

I have Stylus Studio Enterprise 2006 and can't figure out how to accomplish this. Basically, I want to define a format based on the content of some data within each record. The records can be in any order, and the data that I'm testing to determine the record type is located in different areas within each type of record. It's kind of like a multi-pass conversion.

1. Check the record ID, if it's 1, then parse with 1 format, if it's 2 then parse with 2 format, etc.
2. Once parsed in record 2 format, then check if it's type A of record 2, and if so then parse remaining data using format 2A. If it's type B of record 2, then parse remaining data using format 2B, etc.

And the checks for the A and B, etc. types involve extracting data from different parts of the record and checking against constants, etc.

Can this be done easily in Stylus Studio? I fiddled around with the flat file conversion stuff and couldn't see a way to accomplish this.

Thanks!

Minollo I.

Subject: Convert flat file with varying record formats
Author: Minollo I.
Date: 08 Dec 2005 12:48 PM

I posted a reply to the new thread that you started:
http://www.stylusstudio.com/ssdn/default.asp?action=9&read=4497&fid=23#12972

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