Import / Export Template

• Template (field EXT)

This code identifies the import-export template.

• Description (field INTIT)

[object Object]

• Active (field ENAFLG)

Select this check box to activate the current record.

Disabled records keep their content and setup but cannot be used (by recalling their code) on other records (documents, settings ...), or for mass processes.

The authorizations to a given function can prohibit the creation of an active record. In this case, the check box is disabled by default. It can only be modified by an authorized user or through a signature Workflow.

• Object (field OBJ)

It Indicates the object code to be imported or exported. In the case of export, this field is optional; the main table name to be exported is indicated in the identifying block.

• Function (field FONCTION)

It is used to initialize the context (especially if the same object is used by several functions) and check the access rights. Indeed, users must have the appropriate rights to access the function to be able to use the template.

This field is mandatory.

• Module (field MODULE)

[object Object]

• Activity code (field CODACT)

An activity code is used to:

• make optional an element in the dictionary if the value associated with the activity code is null.
• identify the specific/custom elements if they are marked with a code starting with X, Y or Z.
• size a maximum number of lines when the activity code marks elements from a grid.

In this way, if the activity code is disabled, the marked element will not be useable, and the associated code (if any) will neither be generated nor can be activated.

• Access code (field ACS)

This access code makes it possible to prohibit access to the current record for some users.

As a matter of fact, if the field is completed, only the users having this access code with read rights (respectively write rights) can view (respectively modify) the concerned record.

The execution right associated with a user code is processed in a particular way in the case of the import-export templates : if a user has not been granted the execution right, they cannot use the template to import or export data.

• Standard script (field TRTIMP)

It defines the standard process which includes the labels of those actions called in the import-export processes.

These processes are used to carry out initializations, additional controls and, if required, updates. The structure of such a programme can be found in the technical appendix. It should be noted that the standard processes usually named IMPXXX, XXX being the import code, are supplied for a certain number of imports.

For additional information on these actions, refer to the corresponding appended documentation.

• Specific script (field SPEIMP)

It defines the specific/custom process which is called before the standard process, and which is used to carry out the same actions by de-activating if necessary what is carried out by the standard process.

The possible actions are, among others, initializations, additional controls and updates, if required.

For additional information on these actions, refer to the corresponding appended documentation.

• File type (field TYPFIL)

It defines the structure used to manage the data in the file to be imported or exported. For further information, refer to the corresponding paragraph.

• Field separator (field SEPFLD)

It defines the separator between two fields.

To enter a non-printable character, it is necessary to enter a '\' (back slash) followed by 3 numbers representing the ascii code of the character in decimal base.

• Record separator (field SEPREC)

It defines the separator between two records (data groups).

To enter a non-printable character, it is necessary to enter a '\' (back slash) followed by 3 numbers representing the ascii code of the character in decimal base.

The following is often used :

• the line feed character (\010), which corresponds to the end of the line in text files in Unix
• the combination of the two characters carriage return, line feed (\013\010)n which corresponds to the end of the line in Windows text files.

• Field delimiter (field FLDLIM)

The field delimiter (usually the character ") is added in the first and last position for alphanumeric fields. For numeric and date fields there is no requirement for a delimiter.

It is usually one of the following characters :

• 'simple quote'
• "double quote"

• File format (field CODDBA)

It defines the format of the characters used in the file :

• ascii is the standard format where a character is equivalent to a byte in the file. This type of format is used to deal with traditional occidental characters, with different possible character sets, defined in the corresponding field.
• utf8 corresponds to a UNICODE format where the number of characters varies (from 1 to 4, 1 corresponding to the non-accentuated latin character set). This format makes it possible to deal with all types of characters, for instance the Chinese characters.
• ucs2 corresponds to Microsoft's standard format where characters are systematically stored on 2 bytes.

• Export (field EXPORT)

If this field is checked, it will be possible to use this template in the export of data.

• Export sequence no. (field CHRNUM)

This field, only displayed, stores the value of the sequence number when the last export took place. When performing chronological exports, this is useful to process only what has been modified since the last export took place.

• Character set (field OPTCHA)

When the ascii character set is being used, it is possible to use various standardized formats :

• The ISO 8859 code (which is also Adonix internal set when using the ascii format)
• The IBM PC code
• The ASCII 7 bits code (without accents : The accentuated letters are converted into the corresponding minuscule.)

• Decimal separator (field SEPDEC)

It defines the decimal separator used for numbers. If this field is empty, the system will consider that the decimal separator is '.' (full stop).

• Date format (field OPTDAT)

It defines how the date type fields are coded (order and number of characters for the year). 

Only the order of characters and the number of characters in the year can be specified. Upon import, any separation characters between fields are filtered; in this way, the dates in the form 29-05-59 or 09/04/1991 are correctly decoded.

The decoding sub-program takes into account the engine adxdcs variable, documented via the DCS setup that is found in the general parameters in order to define the manner in which a year is decoded over two characters. DCS represents the "pivot" year that defines the century change.

For instance, if DCS is set to 1940, any year made up of two numbers less than or equal to 40 will be considered to be part of the 21st century and any year greater than 40 will be considered to be part of the 20th century. It will therefore be possible to express the years between 1940 and 2039 with two numbers.

The AAAA-MM-JJ format is kept only for XML exports.

• field LIBDAT

Title associated to the previous code.

• Local menu format (field OPTMNL)

The fields of type "local menu" are stored under the form of a number representing their rank in the table.

According to the value of this field the template will export (or expect to find in import).

• 0 : 0 : in this case, the choice is in the form of a number that indicates the rank of the menu in the table : 1 for the first choice, 2 for the second etc. This also corresponds to the internal format under which the local menu is stored in the database.
• 1 : 1 : the choice is entered using the code (on one character) associated with each choice of local menu. This code is not visible in local menu management. It can be defined in the development functions in message management : there is the possibility to enter this internal code (which is only used for that purpose, unlike for earlier character versions, when it was used as an entry accelerator).
• n : (n>1) the first n characters of the label displayed in entry. When using this option, the search algorithm searches for the first character, then the second and so on, until a single corresponding title exists. Thus if a search is carried out to find CHQ in a local menu where the titles are Cash, Transfer, Check, Draft, Bank/credit card, the algorithm will find Check (the only title whose first two letters correspond).

Taking into account the fact that the local menu titles are only the labels used in display, the value stored in the database being the rank in the table, it is entirely possible to change the title of the local menus at the time of an import, in order for the search algorithm to operate correctly. However be aware that the fact of changing the local menu titles can only be made in single user mode, also it is not designed for regular or automatic transfers.

• field LIBMNL

Title associated to the previous code.

• Import (field IMPORT)

If this field is checked, it will be possible to use this template for the import of data.

• Update allowed (field OPTUPD)

It makes it possible to modify an already existing record during import.

• Temp storage space (field AOWSTA)

When this box is checked, the data import feeds the import-export storage space with the wrong data. The fact that the storage space is fed does not prevent the creation of an error file.

• Special import (field OPTSPE)

It indicates that the data integration into the database is made using specific/custom actions defined in the process whose name is given in the Import process field. This specific/custom process includes a restricted number of entry points and therefore requires the writing of a process including all the controls that should be carried out.

Its use resides in the fact that it is possible to group the controls in order to optimize the import program. The structure of the specific/custom imports is described in appendix. The following actions, among others, should be found :

• a label $RAZCRE that is directly called by the import.
• a label $SAIMSK that is directly called by import for each record read and replaces the standard Call SAIMSK (allocation and control of the mask fields starting from class [F]).

• Authorized creation (field OPTCRE)

When this box is checked, the import-export template can be used to create new records in the database.

• Workflow (field ENAWRK)

If this box is not checked, the workflow events relating to the basic operations (creation, modification in object management mode) are not called any longer. In this way, if imports are started and generate mass updates, the release of a multitude of events of this type is avoided, which could impair the performances of the import and cause the mass sending of messages.

This does not means nevertheless that the workflow events relating to the release of the import are disabled.

• No. (field NUMFLG)

• Level (field FLGLEV)

It defines the group's overlapping level. Level 1 is the main level, a N+1 level defines a sub-level of the preceding N level.

• Indicator (field FLGREC)

It identifies the group by a code containing a maximum of 5 characters, this code will be mentioned in the field grid of the following tab, and in the file itself, as group header.

• Table (field FLGFIL)

This indicator grid defines the structure of the record groups. Refer to the corresponding paragraph.

• Key (field FLGKEY)

It defines the key of the linked table used to access the detail of the group records, from values of the upper level tables used in the link expression.

• Link (field FLGLNK)

It defines the link expression, in other words, a series of values separated by a semicolon which gives the key values linking the detail table to the header record.

• Length (field RECLEN)

In the case of a file with fixed length, it is necessary to indicate the number of characters for each record.

• No. (field NUMLIG)

• Indicator (field TYP)

This field is only entered if the group indicator grid in the previous tab is not empty. It is used to attach the information to be exported or imported to a group of data.

• Table (field FIL)

Defined here is the database table where the data to be imported or exported is defined. It should be noted that:

•  This field is mandatory even if it of no particular use (if in the export template and a calculated expression is defined, this can reference fields coming from several tables).
• The table in question is not necessarily the main table associated with the group, but it can be a table linked to the main table in this group or one of the previous groups in the superior level. If no link is found, a warning message is displayed : Automatic link no managed. This means that for the import or export process (entered in the first tab) it is necessary to carry out this link manually (by declaring for instance the table in the IMP_OUVRE action, and the read of the table in the IMP_LIENS action).

• Field (field FLD)

It is used to indicate the name of the field of the table to be imported or exported. Different syntaxes are possible here in order to define the information to be extracted or integrated :

• The character / (slash) means that a group indicator is written upon export or searched for during import. In a template used for the import, when several groups exist, this separator is mandatory for each group. The group separator is supposed to be a normal field (enclosed by field separators and delimiters if the template type Delimited is used).
• The most simple syntax is FIELD(index), when a field coming from the table declared in the previous column is imported or exported. A selection window is used to display the possible fields.
• If a constant string of characters enclosed between double-quotes ( " ) is entered here, the field will be written as it is in the file to be exported and ignored in the import.
• If nothing is entered, it means that there will be an empty field in the exported file (enclosed by field delimiters if the template is of the type Delimited). In import mode, it means that the corresponding field must be ignored.
• The syntax *N, where N is a number between 1 and 99, is also possible. This can be used to assign (in import) or to read (in export) the GIMP(N) variable. GIMP is a global variable, of the character string type, with a maximum length equal to 100, that must be assigned in a specific/custom process associated with the import or export.
• The last possibility, only used in export, consists in defining any calculated expression preceded with the sign equal ( = ). This expression, which can call constants, functions, variables, operators and fields coming from on-line tables, is syntaxically verified upon entry (the control of the context, in particular the fact that the variables exist, cannot obviously be verified).

• Description (field COM)

Add a comment to make it easier to understand parameterization.

• Range (field SEL)

Three choices are possible in this field :

• Not enteredmeans that no start-end range will be entered for this field when launching the export.
• Enteredmeans that a start-end range will be entered for this field when launching the export.
• Not transferredmeans that a start-end range can be entered for this field when launching the export, but that the field will not be transferred during an import or an export.

• Position (field LOC)

This column is only useful in the case of a fixed length format ; in this case, the position gives the gap with respect to the start of the block or the record (positions given in number of bytes, 1 signifying that it is the start of the section or record). The positions must be compatible with the size of the record.

• Length (field LNG)

This field determines the length of the field for a sequential file.

• Format (field FMT)

This column is only entered if the format is fixed length. For numeric amounts, the format entered is defined in the form of nnn or nnn.mmm, remembering that these numbers can be prefixed by < or > (left or right framing being completed with zeros, the right alignment must be used by default), prefixed or suffixed by the character + (mandatory sign before/after the number), and prefixed by the character * (the decimal separator must not appear). The grid below displays examples of the formatting for a given amount (the spaces are replaced here by #).

For an alphanumeric format, the only formatting directives that are possible are < or > (left or right alignment, remembering that the character strings are completed with spaces).

• Pattern (field PATTERN)

This field is used when imports/exports are carried out under the XML format.

Indeed, when a XML file is created, some more information are required, especially in order to create a XSD file describing the structure of the XML file and then, to control its validity with syntax check tools integrated to the different ETL software.

This field defines whether a template has to be associated to the description entered in the XSD description.

If this field is entered, the XSD field will contain a specification of type:

pattern value="value_entered_in_the_pattern_field"

It is possible to find in the online tutorials (like this one) the syntaxes that can be used for the patterns.

• Tag (field BAL)

This field is used when imports/exports are carried out under the XML format.

Indeed, when a XML file is created, some more information are required, especially in order to create a XSD file describing the structure of the XML file and then, to control its validity with syntax check tools integrated to the different ETL software.

This field defines the code of the tag describing the field exported in the template, as it appears in the XML file.

• Mandatory (field OBL)

This field is used when imports/exports are carried out under the XML format.

Indeed, when a XML file is created, some more information are required, especially in order to create a XSD file describing the structure of the XML file and then, to control its validity with syntax check tools integrated to the different ETL software.

This field defines whether the field is mandatory or not. If the value of this field is set to Yes, the XSL file will contain a specification of minOccurs="1" type

• Table number (field NUMTAB)

This number, if it exists, refers to a transcoding table used to transcode the field that is read and make it comply with the expected format.

• field TYPEXP

• Data file (field FILEXT)

It is used to define the path of a default data file that will be proposed during the launch of the import or export (and used in automatic fashion when launching an import or export chain). This file path can be relative, in this case, the database directory is supposed to be the database directory for the installation of the software).

The path can include the character #. If this is the case, there will be a sequential number management :

• In import mode, this means that all the files where the template corresponds to the path will be searched, with # representing 5 numbers (the files are integrated in increasing order of the numbers)
• In export mode, this means that a file is created integrating the formatted value of the sequence number counter [C]EXPORT on 5 numbers. This normally goes with checking the Sequence Number Management box during the launch of the export function.

For instance, if the export sequence number is equal to 156, /u/tmp/fil# makes it possible to generate the /u/tmp/fil156 file.

• Final directory (field REPFIN)

It is used to force a final directory to which the file will be transferred after having been imported. Should there be no value, the directory mentioned in the import/export general parameters is used.