Looking for Selective Import Script

[rusmuscat]

Hello,

I need to selectively import a sizable number of names and addresses from an Excel spreadsheet into our company contact database, which is in Filemaker.

Some names and addresses already exist in the database, others do not.

The proposed methodology is to convert/import the Excel document into Filemaker, and then do the import using a script. Since my scripting expertise in Filemaker is somewhat limited, I'm hoping someone has or could develop a script that would do the following:

Given a record in the source database (the converted Excel spreadsheet),

1) copy the "LastName, FirstName"

2) go to the target database -- the company contacts

3) perform a find using the copied data ("LastName, FirstName") on an analogous calculated field

4) If there is a match, show result "Contact already exists", while displaying found record(s) to allow visual verification of address details

5) If there is no match, show result "No contact found. Import record" and import matching fields from source database to target database, again, displaying imported record for visual verification by operator.

This will be an ongoing process that will need to be repeated from time to time as new contacts accumulate in Excel.

I would be grateful for a response. Also, if there's a different way to accomplish this, I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Vlad Morosan

www.musicarussica.com

The World-wide source for Russian Choral Music

[efen]

Duplicate post

http://fmforums.com/forum/topic/77512-looking-for-selective-import-script/

[Lee Smith]

Duplicate post

http://fmforums.com/forum/topic/77512-looking-for-selective-import-script/

I have deleted the other post.

[fmbiz.net]

Hello,

You can do this import as a direct connection to the EXCEL file. But first, are you certain that you want to use the First and Last name as the key to matching fields? The import would be much more reliable if you had a contact ID number or something more unique that a person's name. The larger your pool of names gets, the more likely you will have two or more people with the same name.

So if you are satisfied with the integrity of the data you can build a script that has an Import script step with specific information such as the file name of the EXCEL file as the source and a filter for "Update matching records in found set". The last step is to match the fields in the EXCEL file to your fields in the database. This information will remain stored in the Script Step. If anything changes in the EXCEL file you will have to come back to this script to update the Import information and order. Attach this script to a Button or scheduled Installer script to trigger it when needed.

I would keep the EXCEL file in a folder somewhere permanent and create a second worksheet (in the same file) to keep track of new contact entries, unless you want to keep re-importing existing contacts. Use excel macros to filter the new entries for the second worksheet.

This process is similar to having a linked file as you would if working in MS Access but the connection is only live when you launch the FileMaker script.

Good Luck.

- Charlie M.

FMBiz.net