import filtering advice needed

[Tundraboy]

I am importing data from external DBF databases into FileMaker for reporting purposes. One particular imported field is text in the DBF but needs to be reported as a number from the FileMaker utility.

Two questions for those who are wiser than I:

- is it better to try validating or converting the field on/during import or

- is it better to leave the imported data and find a way to convert it after import.

If this helps the data is mostly numeric, but there are exceptions. The data is a student grade level indicator and the usual exeptions to numeric are Kindergarten (usually KA, KP for AM class and PM class) and Graduated (typically G, GR, GD). The kindergarten indicators need to be changed to a 0 (zero) and the graduated indicators need to be changed to 13.

Bob Dunn

[mr_vodka]

You can have the field with an auto-enter option of calculated value (Make sure 'Do not replace existing value' is Unchecked).

The calc should be something like:

Let ( f = Left ( field; 1 );

Case ( f="K"; 0; f="G"; 13; field)

)

Then on the import, there will be an option to 'Perform auto-entry option while importing'.

[Tundraboy]

Thank you, mr_vodka (prefer Scotch myself). Everyone else's code always looks more elegant than mine.

Bob Dunn