okay, so i have around 150 documents that i download each day...these documents are comma-separated values that contain statistics...what i'd LIKE to do is make a batch file that will open up the files and import them into access (where each separated value is put into the correct field)...it would make my life simply GRAND...if it would be easier, though, they can be imported into excel...i'm not familiar enough with dos commands to know how to do this, but if anyone could give me some pointers or direct me to a good tutorial site, i would be grateful

1/3/2006 2:31:16 PM

um, write a vb script. This is what macros are for in excel and what access is for in general.

1/3/2006 2:36:45 PM

I've messed with some batch files before but I don't think I know how to do what you're wanting to do with batch files, but I know you could use macros, like macro express or any good macro program to do this. Depends on how your access/excel file was setup. I've used macros to take address out of excel spreadsheets and put them into labels in Word and it worked out pretty good.

1/3/2006 2:38:19 PM

there's no need for any 3rd party program. All office programs have VB macro editors built in.

1/3/2006 2:39:36 PM

I was thinking his 150 documents were Word or Notepad. In that case wouldn't he need a third party program?

1/3/2006 2:43:06 PM

actually, the documents have these weird extensions that relate to the topic...for example

the document with rainfall/year is called something like "90s.rain," and windows obviously doesn't recognize .rain as an extension...of course, if you open it in notepad, all the numbers are there, separated by commas, and there aren't any weird characters or anything, it would look like this:

1990,23,56,55,66,89,26,67,45,26,56,89,90
1991,76,45,26,75,02,57,78,45,12,29,70,45

etc...so what i want to do is import this information into excel or access or whatever...but the files don't have a .csv extension...what's worse is that let's say i have another file that i download with it called "90s.snow"...if i rename them all with the .csv extension, i won't be able to tell which file has what information...does this make sense yet?

1/3/2006 2:55:43 PM

Couldn't you rename them 90ssnow.csv or 90srain.csv?

1/3/2006 2:58:09 PM

I will write something that will make you excel files for a nominal fee, pm me.

1/3/2006 3:03:49 PM

the extensions dont matter. If they are comma separated text files, Excel/Word/Access with VBA can import them with no problem.

[Edited on January 3, 2006 at 3:13 PM. Reason : .]

1/3/2006 3:12:14 PM

i will download something that will do this for you from the internet for a nominal fee

1/3/2006 3:13:16 PM

^^yep

or rename them as 90s.rain.csv if you need to.

But the extension doesnt matter to vb

1/3/2006 4:10:41 PM

don't even try to do this with batch files. that's not what they're for. make your own vb script. noen is right, that's the whole point of macros.

or, I will write something that will make you excel files for a nominal fee, pm me

1/3/2006 5:43:47 PM

If you are analyzing them with SAS, I will write a program that will do it for you for a nominal fee.

Seriously, if you are using SAS at any point, you should do the importing there and make them permanent data sets, rather than read from the Excel file every time (presuming they don't change...). If you collaborate with anybody else, it will make it that much easier on them.

1/3/2006 6:04:22 PM

...i can write a VB macro to automatically import them... for a nominal fee.

1/3/2006 7:04:47 PM

that's a lot of nominal fees...i appreciate the input, everyone, i really do (no sarcasm)

1/3/2006 7:41:04 PM

alright...i really need to get this stuff working...i appreciate everyone's input, but i'm not familiar enough with access or macros to know how to do this in the way that i want to do it...

i am willing to pay for someone to write the macros for access...if anyone's interested, please send me a pm and we can meet sometime for me to give you some sample files and give you a better idea of what i want...if you have an idea of what you'd charge, i'd appreciate that, too

1/21/2006 7:54:14 PM

I will write something that will make you excel files and make you pay far out the ass, pm me.

1/22/2006 12:29:36 PM

anyone else? i'm really looking for some macros in access...and i'd prefer not to pay out the ass, but i'm more than willing to be reasonable (macros can't take THAT long...i've done them before in excel, but i don't know much about access)

1/22/2006 11:15:54 PM