Replacing in checkboxes

[lrcarey]

Hi,

I just did a large data import into a file (13,000 records). In the old database, records were tagged by specific categories, but they were typed in, not selected by checkboxes or radio buttons. The new database has this function streamlined so all the options are in a field of checkboxes. But how to get the old data into the new format? When I did the import, everything came into the "Other..." box, instead of filtering out into the appropriate boxes. So now I'm doing finds for each category then doing a "Replace". But many records have more than one category attached, and I just realized that when I did the replace, it didn't ADD the new category, it replaced any other values that were in there. For obvious reasons I don't want to go through every record manually.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance - everyone here has helped me SO much!

Leah

[falkaholic]

It should work if the checkbox options (the value list) matchs whats in the fields exactly. Beyond that I'm not sure.

I use a different system for checkbox. I have a number field for each, a calculation and a global container (repeating 2).

The calculation field checks to see if the number field is 1 or 2, and returns a one or other other (one pic is unchecked, the other is checked) from the global container.

Then i make a script to toggle the number field, and put the calculation field in my layouts where i need it, and make it a button that run the toggle script.

That what importing, export, sorting and finds are much simplier.