Importing script that will eliminate as I go

[etsmarines]

I am trying to import over 10000 records from an excel sheet into a filemaker database. I am only trying to import one unique number field. The issue that I am having is that there are holes in my excel spreadsheet that will not match up with the filemaker database. He is what I am doing right now. I run the import and match all field names up and the only thing that is being imported is the constituent ID field if there is a positive match. So the first time I ran the import only 600 fields matched up and only 600 records out of 10000 were created. I then manipulated my excel data sheet and deleted all rows that were just imported so that all the records that I just imported when I ran the next import would not be availabe for a match. This is very tedious and time consuming. I am wondering if there is a way to run a script that will match records as closely as possible and once that ID field which is what im trying to populate for over 10000 records is filled it will disregard that record and look to match up only records with that field being empty. Is there some matrix script that will show all combinations possible starting with the most complex and progressivley move the more simpler matches?

Thanks Again!

Erik

[fseipel]

From what you've described, you need to select "update matching records in found set", in the import dialog, and also, select "add remaining data as new records". If you then match on the ID field (i.e. it should have an equal sign between source field column and target field column), it will not create a new record when the data is imported for matching ID's. For blank ID's, it will create a new record.

For those records it brings in with an empty ID field, you can simply do a find for this field being empty, and execute a script step to delete all records in found set. This should alleviate any need to edit the Excel file source between successive imports.

It did not really sound like you needed to do a similarity check, but if you did, you can import into a second table, and have the script process the records into the first table as necessary by looping through them.