Automated Data Import

[torquilp]

Hi,

I really like the Kirix Strata beta but the only bit I struggle with just now is importing lots of data. For example I get a daily data extract from a source system (payments file) and it would be nice to be able to automate the import process. As far as I can tell just now you have to manually point to each file and define it's characteristics every time, which is very time consuming. It would be nice to be able to save the definition of a data file and then apply that definition to multiple files as you read them into Kirix.

Is that something that is possible in the scripting language?

Regards

Torquil

[Aaron]

It would be nice to be able to save the definition of a data file and then apply that definition to multiple files as you read them into Kirix.

Right now, you can create "persistent" definitions that are associated with CSV or fixed-length text files. However, since these are associated with specific files, you can't yet apply these to multiple files.

Try this:

1. In the File menu, select "Create Connection...".
2. In the "Create Connection" panel, make sure the Folder in the top-left is selected, then, browse to the path containing the files you want to access.
3. Click on the "Connect" button. A new folder will appear on your project tree showing these files.
4. Click on one of these files, and you'll see that the file opens as a table in a tab, just like a native table. It turns out you can do much more with these "connected" files: you can sort, filter, group, and create calculated fields on them; in addition, you can change the definition associated with them by switching the view (double-window icon on the toolbar) to the design view and changing the design parameters. In short, you can use these files in many of the same ways you can use them if you import them.
5. Now, if you actually want to import these files, which allows you to edit their values and relate them, you can open them from the project tree, and once they're open, save them to the project (File->SaveAs), which will copy them from the external directory to the local project.

Is that something that is possible in the scripting language?

Yes, you can create these definitions in a script, so that you don't actually have to connect to the folder in the project tree. However, we haven't yet documented the functions to create these definitions because we may need to significantly revise these functions in the near future. That said, if you want to explore this further, let me know, and I'll show you how to do it.