delimiter issue, bug or not?

[zloua...@gmail.com]

ping...

Hi there,

We developed a program that takes data right out of FileMaker and
going directly into a shell script for some processing.

On the export records steps, in the "Output file character set"
option, I choose Macintosh so that the file is unix and not dos or
anything else. In the resulting shell, all steps (actual FileMaker
records) are separated by the Dos ^M carriage return characters and
therefore the script doesn't run. I know that those characters are
there because I see them using any character editor on Mac. I used
unix vi editor and replace the characters with unix carriage return
and the script ran successfully. Is there a way to change the Dos
carriage return delimiter via function or some other way that I'm not
aware of? It's my understanding that FileMaker will export text
(comma/tab separated) while delimiting the records with a carriage
return. Also changing delimiter depending on your output file
character set option? Is this a bug? I bet everything will be fine if
the server was windows.

What I have tried with no luck
1-Forced inserted the character after each record (they came out as
vertical tabs)
2-Trim any weird characters between records using a custom function
(didn't work because FileMaker using it's own fancy delimiters for the
records after reading the record)
3-The obvious, selected Macintosh on export record options.
4-Created a Global field and looping the found set in it then
exporting the global field. (same reason as #2, records are being
delimited by FileMaker)

Any advice? Anyone ever needed to style while exporting records? Try
and export a few records in txt and let me know if I'm missing
something.

Thanks in advance
-
zloua...@gmail.com

[Charlie Bailey]

Z,

I've done some testing here and get the same delimiter no matter what format I choose (CSV/ANSI, CSV/DOS, CSV/MAC, MER/ANSI, MER/DOS, or MER/MAC). If you're writing shell scripts anyway - why not just parse this export file and replace the offending delimiter with a more appropriate one?

- Charlie


--
Charlie Bailey
EVP Product Development and CTO
inRESONANCE
Northampton MA
http://twitter.com/charliebailey

[zloua...@gmail.com]

Thanks, will try that. Also I got a response from FileMaker tecnet guy
who suggested to use XML that way I can style it. Will try both in a
few.

On Feb 8, 2:41 pm, Charlie Bailey <char...@inresonance.com> wrote:
> Z,
>
> I've done some testing here and get the same delimiter no matter what format
> I choose (CSV/ANSI, CSV/DOS, CSV/MAC, MER/ANSI, MER/DOS, or MER/MAC). If
> you're writing shell scripts anyway - why not just parse this export file
> and replace the offending delimiter with a more appropriate one?
>
> - Charlie
>
> --
> Charlie Bailey
> EVP Product Development and CTO
> inRESONANCE

> Northampton MAhttp://twitter.com/charliebailey
>
> On Mon, Feb 8, 2010 at 2:08 PM, zlouatt...@gmail.com
> <zlouatt...@gmail.com>wrote:

> > zlouatt...@gmail.com
>
>

[Charlie Bailey]

Of course - XML! Absolutely - that will be the most flexible solution. I should have mentioned that in the first place.

- CB

[zloua...@gmail.com]

I worked! wow, I had to learn xml in 10 minutes.
Anyway, I find it very frustrating that FileMaker ignores the
character set chosen for exporting whether or not this is an accepted
bug.
Thanks charlie, If anyone ever needs to do something like this you
will need to add the unix carriage return at the last position of each
record in your xsl file. pheeew

On Feb 8, 2:51 pm, Charlie Bailey <char...@inresonance.com> wrote:
> Of course - XML! Absolutely - that will be the most flexible solution. I
> should have mentioned that in the first place.
>
> - CB
>

> On Mon, Feb 8, 2010 at 2:46 PM, zlouatt...@gmail.com
> <zlouatt...@gmail.com>wrote: