Whats the easiest way to import multiple files?

[AKira5284]

Howdy All,

I was wondering what the best way to import lots of excel files was? I mean without the user having to go in and import each one manually. Any ideas?

[Matthew F]

That sounds like a job for "Automator" (Mac OS 10.4)

Have you messed around with the "Import" script step? It might speed things up a bit, but it will only import one .xls file at a time. You can then create a new record in the script and import a second .xls file, and so on. If you have 100 files all with different names it is a problem since you have to specify the file names in script but you can't automatically increment the file names.

[Fenton]

This question gets asked fairly often, in various forms. If the poster is on a Mac, you can use AppleScript, if on a PC, probably Troi File. Either can use command line, but that would be more difficult.

Look at this post:

http://www.fmforums.com/threads/showflat...true#Post151659

[AKira5284]

So really there is not easy way. I read the other post and checked out Troi but it still seems likes its all being done manually. I thahnk you for the repely, but i still find no way to take 50+ text files and import all of them. I really was hoping that import folder would do it, but no, all it does is import the Full name, Full Path ect., I believe that to be rather pointless. Is this the absolute end for my search?

Thanks again,

Akira

EDIT: Or it might just be that i don't understand how to use Troi. If thats the case please help

[Fenton]

Well, the Troi examples are basic, there is not an "import files from folder" command per se. But there is a "Listing Folder" example (button on the All File Examples file, Getting Data In tab), which opens the ListFolder file, where the example is. The Troi command: TrFile_ListFolder

You can bring that list of the names of all files in the specified folder into FileMaker, as a return-separated text field (global). Then it's a matter of taking them out, 1 line at a time, adding the folder path, to get a full path, renaming that file to a fixed name, using the Troi: Tri_MoveFile command (moving and renaming a file are much the same thing; FileManipulation example file). You can then Import that file, then move/rename it again. Repeat until done.

So it can be done. It's not all that easy, but it's not all that hard either; once you understand the basic logic, which was in my referenced post. I've mostly done this with AppleScript. I probably have a Troi-based routine in one of my files, somewhere, but I don't have a simple example handy.

[bTW, you have 2 threads going about this. Please don't double-post. It makes it hard for others to follow the discussion.]

[Fenton]

If you want to see how a real expert does this (for free), check out this comprehensive how-to by Matt Petrovsky posted today on his site's bulletin board. Command line made easy (well comprehensible anyway), cross-platform no less. A must read for FileMaker geeks:

http://forum.filemakermagazine.com/about6535.html