Layout Wizard

The Record Layout Wizard guides you through creating a record layout using a file as the basis. On all the wizard screens, you can use Left and Right Arrow buttons (at the bottom of the screen) to move between the screens. There are 2 basic groups of Screens:

Fixed Width

Screens for defining Fixed field width Files. See "Field Position screen" and "Field Definition screen".

CSV

Screens for defining a CSV file. See "CSV Details" and "CSV Field Definition"

Multi Record

Screen for defining files with multiple Records in them. See "Record Type Field", "Record Name screen", "Field Position screen" and "Field Definition screen".

Initial Wizard Screen

On the file screen you enter file details and the name of the record layout being created. The field Record Types determines whether you travel down the

Fixed Width

route ("Field Position screen" and "Field Definition screen") screens

CSV

route ("CSV Details" and "CSV Field Definition").

Multi Record

route ("Record Type Field", "Record Type Field", "Record Name screen", "Field Position screen" and "Field Definition screen").

Fields on the window are:

File Name

Name of the file you are building a layout for

File Structure

How the file is organized. If you are using Standard Windows / Linux Text files leave it as Default Reader

Record Type

This is where you select what type of records are in the file. The options are

  • Fixed Length Records For a file with one record with fixed width fields. See "Fixed Width Dialogue" for more details.
  • Delimited Fields For a file with delimited Fields. See "CSV Dialogue" for more details.
  • Multiple Record (Fixed Width) For files with multiple Fixed With Records in them. See "Multiple Record Screen" for more details.

Font Name

Font Name of the file (e.g. CP037 for US Ebcdic Characters).

Default Type

What Types Fields to initially assign to a field.

File Structure Screen

If you are using Windows/Unix files, you will not see this screen. Its displayed when

Fields on the window are:

File Structure

The Structure or Format of the file

Length

Record Length for fixed width files. You can also set this field by clicking on a position in the file Table

Font Name

Files Font, typically cp037 for Mainframe files (US EBCDIC).

Fixed Width Dialogue

Following are the wizard screens displayed when using a fixed width file.

Field Position screen

The second screen displays the file with the fields in alternating background colors.

To create a new field, click on the first column of the field.

To remove a field, click on the first column again

Other Fields Buttons on the screen include:

Note: The initial values of the Search For + whether a search is done automatically is set in the Edit >>>> Edit Startup Options dialog. See "Startup Options" for more details

Field Definition screen

This screen is for defining the field names and field types.

Once all the fields have been defined, click on the right arrow button to define the new layout.

Save screen

On the final screen you define the layout name and layout description

CSV Dialogue

CSV Details

On this screen you specify the basic CSV file structure (i.e. field separator; quotes).

Fields on the Screen

Field Separator

Field used to mark the end of one field and the start of the next

Quote Character

Quote character used to surround Text Fields

Parser

Parser used to split lines up into fields. For most files, the Basic Parser is the best to use. But the three parsers provided are:

Basic Parser

If Field starts with a Quote, it looks for a <Quote><Separator>. It will fail if a field contains <quote><separator>

Matching Quotes

For every opening Quote, It looks for a matching closing Quote.

Quotes based on fields

This is an extension of Matching Quotes. For this type of Parser all text fields will always get quotes around them. This is programs that are very picky about having Quotes around Text fields, Dates (in particular some Databases).

Fields on First Line

Indicates whether the first line of the file holds the field names.

CSV Field Definition

This screen is used to define the fields (columns) in the file.

Layout screen

On the final screen you define the layout name and layout description

Multiple Record Screen

Following are the Wizard screens displayed when working a Multi-Record Fixed Field width Data file.

Record Type Field

This screen is used to define where the Record-Type Field (the field that determines what type of record it is). You can do one of

Record Name screen

This screen lets you define the names of the various records.

Field Position screen

This screen displays the file with the fields in alternating background colors.

To create a new field, click on the first column of the field.

To remove a field, click on the first column again

Other Fields Buttons on the screen include:

Note: The initial values of the Search For + whether a search is done automatically is set in the Edit >>>> Edit Startup Options dialog. See "Startup Options" for more details

Field Definition screen

This screen is for defining the field names and field types.

Once all the fields have been defined, click on the right arrow button to define the new layout. Use the Record combo to switch between the various records.

Save Layout screen

On the final screen you define the layout name and layout description

Startup Options

There are several Wizard Field Search options that can be set via the Edit Startup options function (Edit >>>> Edit Startup Options Menu).

The Parameters that can be set are: