Problem importing a huge text file

[cmteng]

Hi all,

I'm new to FileMaker. I need to import a huge student database (currently in text file) into a database which contain 3 fields, Name, particular and date motified.

The format of the text file is in following

Name<return>

<return>

<tab>particular<return>

<tab>particular<return>

<tab>particular<return>

<return>

<tab>particular<return>

<tab>particular<return>

<tab>particular<return>

<return>

<tab>(Date format in yyyy-mm-dd)<return>

<return>

Name<return>

<return>

<tab>particular<return>

<tab>particular<return>

<tab>particular<return>

<return>

<tab>particular<return>

<tab>particular<return>

<tab>particular<return>

<return>

<tab>(Date format in yyyy-mm-dd)<return>

<return>

................

The information in 'particular' contain line break and I need to remove the line break after importing the information into FM. The tab is front of each line have to be removed as well. The 'particular' contain several sentences and each sentences is not just limit to 3 lines.

As for the date motified a ( is added in front of the date and a ) is added at the end of the date. Certain student particular in the text file doesn't have information on date motified.

I really need to import the information into the database as soon as possible. I appriciate any help your guy, the expert can offer. A million thanks!

[Vaughan]

Open the file on your favorite word processing program and use its find/replace commands to masage the text. Save the resulting file as text only (important!) and import this into the database.

Alternatively, go back to the source and get the data in a less zaney and outrageous format.

[cmteng]

Hi!

Thanks for your reply. But I tried that and fail. The text is too huge and the variable to much