I looked and couldn't find an answer to my question here but I'm new to Sesame so excuse my terminology.

I have experience with flat database files and writing code to interact with these files. Right now I have been given a Sesame app with 4 databases and multiple forms. I need to extract complete records from the database, null values and all. When I do file I/O on any given element I only get the output of what exists in that column or field, if there are 10,000 records but only 20 unique values in any given field, thats all I recieve in my output. I guess I need to know if there is a function that will allow me to traverse through the [u]complete[/u] records one by one and extract or do whatever to the fields contained in that record?
Thanks for any help.

I have been using the Text File I/O Functions in conjuction with other functions to try to increase the scope of fields such as GlobalValue.
Thanks for the help!, I sure can use it.

I have actually looked at the X functions and used XListValues but it still just seems to return fields that are populated. I was hoping that I would get just ;; for empty values but didn't.
Maybe I'm missing something with the design of the initial application concerning the linking of fields? The data was apparently in Q&A before Sesame if that sheds any light on my problem concerning linking?
Thanks again.

Are you looking for something that looks like a flat file spreadsheet type of format so that you can step through each record and select which ones you want to process?

I've hit a wall, I can't seem to figure out how to retrieve complete records(with their fields disperced among 5 databases, one .db) and use file I/O to export them to an ascii file one complete record at a time. I must be missing something? PLease help! Thanks.

North_Guy

For starters do not panic. There are ways to achieve your goal. Second I would highly recommend attending an integrating Sesame with External Applications class offered by Hammer Data systems. It teaches how to create files like you are looking for.

You also might look into the Lantica product called Extractor. I do not know if it only reads 1 database at a time or all databases in an application. A Lantican will need to answer that question.

If I understand the process you need in lay terms you have an application that has 5 databases with the data in each database related to each other. You want all the related data from the database as one line in an ASCII file.

What form of linking did you use, Natural or relational?

If my statements above are correct the basic steps you need to do is

Get all data per record into elements or variables
Open a file to write to in a format you choose
Format the data with the correct separators
Write the line to the file
Close the file.

One basic method you can use to get all data per record together is by creating a form with each of the remaining databases as subforms. The elements on the main form are then available to export and by creating variables and using  @formfieldValue() you can then have all the related data available to export. Example

vpropertystreet = @formfieldValue("property","propertyStreet",0)

Then format the data with the separator you need. Example


     vData = VpropertyStreet + "^" + VpropertyCity + "^" + VpropertyState + "^" + VpropertyZip + "^" + VpropertyFirst + "^" + VpropertyLast + "^"+ VFirmname + "^"+ vpropQuotedRate + "^" + vLoanSizeDesired + "^" + vPropertyType + "^" + VMarketValue + "^" + VMarketValueestorap + "^" + VuseridFullName + "^" + VuserEmail + "^"

Then use the file commands to open, seek, write and close the file. Look at

fileOpen()
fileSeek()
fileWriteLn()
fileClose()


There are cleaner methods I am sure but hopefully this  example should get you started in the correct direction.

North_Guy,

Sesame is not SQL based, nor is it structured like a true relational database engine. If you try to make it behave like Access or my SQL, you are doing the square peg - round hole thing.  If you were to write an SQL query to get the data you want from mySQL, how would it look? I speak SQL, so this will let us see exactly what you are trying to accomplish.

Okay, I only see one "table" in your SQL, therefore, @XLookupSourceListAll should do it for you. Have you tried this? If so, what was wrong with the result?

Please be specific. Remember that we can't see anything you have or are doing.