Line feeds vs carriage returns during export

[Carlisle]

Hello all,

I'm exporting data to a text file to give to a colleague who is importing the data into an INGRES database. Unfortunately, she needs each record to end with a line feed, while Filemaker ends each with a carriage return.

Does anybody have a solution for us?

Thanks,

Carlisle

[Kurt Knippel]

Create a calculated field with the linefeed character, and then export that field.

Or run though Excel converting all carriage returns into linefeeds, actually opening in Excel and re-saving as text file may convert them automatically.

[BobWeaver]

Does INGRESS want a linefeed only, or carriage return and linefeed? Or, does it care about the carriage return as long as the linefeed is there?

I generally run the exported file through some kind of text editor to replace the carriage returns with linefeeds. Depending on your platform there are a number of utilities available.

[Carlisle]

Create a calculated field with the linefeed character, and then export that field.

Or run though Excel converting all carriage returns into linefeeds, actually opening in Excel and re-saving as text file may convert them automatically.

I'm not sure this will work as a solution, since the record will still end with a carriage return, but it will be worth a try.

We are actually doing an automated data dump. I suppose I could script the Excel open/save/close.

The weird thing is that this used to work. In the old regime, the database was being served by FMServer 5 and run (for the export) by FMP 5.5 by machines running OS9. Now it's on an Xserver by Server 5.5 and run by FMP 6, both by machines running (of course) OS X.

We're thinking that something about this change has substituted carriage returns for line feeds.

Sigh....

[Carlisle]

Does INGRESS want a linefeed only, or carriage return and linefeed? Or, does it care about the carriage return as long as the linefeed is there?

I generally run the exported file through some kind of text editor to replace the carriage returns with linefeeds. Depending on your platform there are a number of utilities available.

Bob,

I've queried my INGRES person more carefully.

Apparently, INGRES is looking for a new line, which apparently is a combination carriage return and line feed.

The exports go out with a carriage return only.

I think she is going to take your suggestion and try and edit the output file to change the carriage returns to new lines. I'm not sure of her platform...methinks it is windows.

As I said in my previous post, the odd thing is that this used to work. Don't know if it is the change to OSX or FMP6 or some combination of both.

Thanks for your help.

Carlisle

[BobWeaver]

Traditionally, Mac operating systems (up to and including OS9) have used a carriage return as an end of line marker, Windows uses carriage return + linefeed, and Unix uses just a linefeed. Considering that OSX is based on Unix, I wonder what software running on OSX uses for an end of line character.

[Garry Claridge]

I have just been doing some exports for use with ASP/VBScript.

I am using MacOS X (10.2.4) and FM 6.0v4

The exported file is Tab Delimitated and unfortunately uses only a "carriage return" between lines . If it used a "Linefeed" I would be happy.

Unfortunately this database will be used on both Mac and Windows. So I will have to write some more VBScript to compensate.

All the best.

Garry