Mismatching import from export

[tmanning]

I am already doing that. Maybe I can shed more light on the problem by adding this: I have a database with over 200 fields in it. When importing records back into the database, how am I supposed to match the fields up so the import correctly? I understand I can save it in a script but what happens if I add or delete fields later? I still have to find a way to correctly import at least once before I can save the import in a script. I have no way to tell what data goes into which fields when re-importing the information unless I can get it to come in the same way it initially went out.

[danjacoby]

Export as a DIF file, then when you import you can select "Matching Names" and it'll work beautifully.

[tmanning]

That worked wonderfully! I wish I had known that a long time ago. Thank you!!!

[danjacoby]

I didn't know about it until your post. It just occurred to me that one of the exports must work for you, and the ol' trial-and-error(-and-error-and-error) worked.

What did Edison say about inspiration & perspiration?

[tmanning]

Short story: I am exporting data from a filemaker database and tehn importing it directly back in. When I do this, the fields are mismatched.

Long Story: This is what I am trying to do; I need to allow a person to export their data to a diskette so that they could take their data with them and possibly re-open it up on another computer with a copy of the same database. I realize that my problem would be solved if their data was backed up by saving a copy of the file (then I could import by matching names) but the file is too large to put on a diskette so I am stuck with using the export feature. When I export from the database and then import back into the same database, the information goes into the wrong fields. It seems that filemaker exports the fields by creation order but when I import, it changes the fields to alphabetical order or something. This means that imports it in a different order than it exported it. How do I fix this?

[ March 07, 2002, 12:06 PM: Message edited by: tmanning ]

[Fitch]

1. Export your records.

2. Save the export as a script (restore export order). This will ensure that the export happens the same way each time.

3. Import the records.

4. Save the import as a script (see above).

When you save the import or export order in a script, it can get put back the way it was, even if someone changes the import order or field order in the meantime.

Alternative: new in FileMaker 5.5 is "dynamic field name matching," so that if you script an import with "matching names," it will always try to match the field names regardless of the field order.