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Format of exported text file breaks down mail merge Options
nbofh
Posted: Thursday, May 28, 2009 12:36:43 PM
Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 12/17/2008
Posts: 40
Points: 120
Location: Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, UiB

The format of the exported file is easily corrupted by the contents of text elements, such as the comment fields. Examples include lat./long. specifications, e.g.

50° 09' 64" N

or other items including a quotation mark. Other possible sources of errors are the inclusion of quoted text in the "Description" or "LabelText" fields.

This is an error that spews out error messages when producing labels.

I have written a post about this problem previously. The reason for posting again is that this error persists, and it renders the "Labels" function unusable for us. There is no way we can make sure the users of our database do not enter a sequence of characters in our database that will not corrupt the "Labels" function.

Please reconsider using a database file for the data exchange in place of a text file. CSV files are nothing but error prone in all usage.

I can think of two viable solutions. One is to use SQLite, a Public Domain database library. Possible solutions for using this with Microsoft Word includes the ones outlined at

http://petesbloggerama.blogspot.com/2007/02/sqlite-adonet-prepared-statements.html

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sqlite

Another solution would be to use an MS-Access or MS-Ecxel file.

;)Frode

Øyvind
Posted: Saturday, May 30, 2009 10:37:58 PM

Rank: Administration
Groups: Administration , Member

Joined: 8/7/2008
Posts: 54
Points: -32
Location: Oslo

A far more easy solution will be to escape the double quotation marks. This will solve your problems and we will implement it in the next version of Iris.

Øyvind

nbofh
Posted: Friday, June 12, 2009 2:19:08 PM
Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 12/17/2008
Posts: 40
Points: 120
Location: Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, UiB

Thank you.

Any solution that works is better than the present buggy one.

;)Frode

nbofh
Posted: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 1:38:11 PM
Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 12/17/2008
Posts: 40
Points: 120
Location: Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, UiB

Escaping solved the problem.

Is this same escape sequence implemented for the reports too?

E.g. Reprots => Export cultivations and the like.

;)Frode

Øyvind
Posted: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 2:21:34 PM

Rank: Administration
Groups: Administration , Member

Joined: 8/7/2008
Posts: 54
Points: -32
Location: Oslo

Yes, it's the same program code.

Øyvind

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