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Text File | 1986-10-26 | 16KB | 311 lines

               COMMA.APP  --  File Import COMMA-Delimited

COMMA.APP is a Symphony (TM) Add-In application that augments Symphony's
standard File Import  capabilities.  It adds  the option "Comma"  to the
normal choices of "Text" and "Structured" on the File Import menu.

COMMA imports structured ASCII files  onto a Symphony worksheet.  It has
the same general functions as File-Import-Structured.  However, COMMA is
often more  directly applicable  to importing  data records  than F-I-S,
because of the following features:

     1. Input files can have lines longer than 240 characters.

     2. Commas which separate input fields are significant.  In
        F-I-Structured, two or three commas between fields is
        treated exactly the same as a single comma, but COMMA
        obeys multiple commas as an indication to skip cells on
        the worksheet.  This makes COMMA suitable for importing
        data from many BASIC or disk filing programs.

     3. Unlike F-I-Structured, text does not have to be quoted
        for COMMA to import it as label cells onto the worksheet.

     4. Input text can contain imbedded double-quote marks.

     5. Label cells can be right-aligned or centered if desired.

     6. Formulas can be entered, just as if they were typed in
        SHEET mode.  In fact, COMMA can import any legal cell
        contents; repeating labels, DOC format lines, etc.

     7. Cells can be formatted as they are being input.

     8. Column widths can be set appropriately for the input data.

     9. Cells can be entered in an order other than strict
        left-to-right and top-to-bottom.

To make  the facilities of the  COMMA Add-In available to  Symphony, use
the Application Attach  command to attach COMMA.APP at  the beginning of
the session.  When COMMA is no  longer needed, Application Detach can be
used  to remove  it from  Symphony's memory  area.  However,  it may  be
convenient to keep COMMA attached while its functions are still needed.

After COMMA.APP  is attached to Symphony,  it can be activated  from the
File Import menu by selecting  [SERVICES] File Import Wide.  You will be
instructed to identify a file to  be read, and then directed to indicate
a target range for the import operation.  The default file extension for
the input file is presumed to be PRN, but the standard Symphony filename
specification procedures can be used to identify a file in any directory
and with any desired extension.

The target import range can be specified by pointing with an anchored or
unanchored cursor, by typing a cell address or pair of cell coordinates,
or by providing a range name.  If the target is specified as an anchored
range, i.e. with upper-left and lower-right coordinates, then the import
operation will be constrained to that range; no cells outside that range
will be affected.   If an unanchored range is specified,  i.e. by giving
the upper-left cell address only, then  cells to the right and below the
target address may  be replaced by data from the  input file.  If global
protection is enabled, however, then  any attempt to overwrite protected
cells will immediately terminate the import operation.

COMMA will  read files with  any desired  record length.  The  data from
each  record  (line)  is  placed  in a  separate  row  on  the  Symphony
worksheet.  Each record is terminated by  an ASCII Carriage Return (CR =
0Dh) and an optional Line Feed (LF = 0Ah) character.  End of file can be
indicated either by an ASCII End-Of-File (EOF = 1Ah) character or by DOS
knowing exactly how many bytes long the file is.

Each line of the input file  can contain many fields.  These fields have
either cell  data (text, numbers,  or formulas) or else  contain special
instructions to COMMA which control the import process.  Each data field
in a  record is placed in  a separate column on  the Symphony worksheet,
unless a control  command in the input stream directs  COMMA to move the
logical cursor to  another column or row.  Fields in  the input file are
separated by commas.   Any number of blank spaces before  or after field
values are ignored.

Data fields can be constructed as follows:

     1. Text is optionally enclosed in matching double-quote (")
        characters.  A text string must be quoted if it needs to
        contain an imbedded comma or leading or trailing blanks.

        A text field can be up to 240 characters long between the
        quotes or commas which delimit it.  Each text field is
        placed into a Symphony cell as a left-aligned label.  If
        a double-quote mark is needed as an imbedded character in
        a quoted text string, it should be indicated by a pair of
        double-quotes (""); unquoted text (which is delimited
        only by commas) can contain a double-quote character
        without any special preparation.  Any tab characters
        (ASCII 09h) in the text will be expanded to blank spaces
        with tab settings assumed at every eight (8) positions.

     2. Numbers are entered without any delimiter characters.  A
        numeric field consists of a string of digits, with an
        optional leading dollar sign, an optional plus or minus
        sign, an optional imbedded decimal point, and optionally
        trailed by either a percent sign or an exponent.  The
        standard Symphony rules for typing numbers into SHEET
        cells are applied.

     3. Formulas are enclosed in matching square bracket ( [ ] )
        characters.  A formula field can be up to 240 characters
        long between the brackets, and two right-brackets ( ]] )
        can signify a required one in the formula string.

        Each formula field is placed into a cell exactly as if it
        were typed into a Symphony SHEET cell.  Imported formulas
        can refer to range names and cell addresses as usual.
        All references to cells by cell coordinates (A1, B2, ...)
        are treated as references relative to the upper-left
        corner of the target import range.  If the contents of a
        bracketed string are not acceptable to Symphony as a
        formula (or a label cell or number cell) then the formula
        string is imported as a label cell prefaced by the string
        ERR> and left on the worksheet for subsequent editing.

        Note that brackets can be used to import label cells with
        leading left- (') right- (") or center-alignment (^)
        prefix characters.  This allows more specific control
        over cell alignment than importing quoted text strings,
        which are always loaded as left-aligned labels.  Also,
        formula brackets can be used to import repeating labels
        (with the \ prefix character) and special (prefixed by
        the | character) label cells.

     4. If any input field is longer than 240 characters, then it
        is truncated at the 240-th character position without any
        warning message.  If the final delimiter for the text (")
        or formula (]) field is not found before the end of the
        input line, then the entire field is ignored and the
        corresponding cell on the worksheet is not filled.

In addition to the data values  that COMMA can import, there are special
command fields  that can be used  to control the import  process.  These
fields are enclosed in curly brace ( { } ) characters.  They provide the
ability to specify the cell format of imported fields, to set the column
width of columns in the import range, and to import the fields in orders
other than strict row-per-line and column-per-field sequence.

If an unknown  command type is found between curly  braces, or the input
line ends (CR) before the right-brace (}) character is found to complete
the command, then the command string is ignored in the input stream.  In
particular, note that an unquoted  string which begins with a left-brace
-- but is not  intended to be used as a command --  may have its opening
character(s) stripped by COMMA, which  would mistake the unquoted string
for a special control command.

The  following control  strings are  accepted, and  must be  enclosed in
curly braces:

        COMMAND  STRING    PURPOSE
        -------  --------  ----------------------------------------
        Home     H         Resets the import cursor to point to the
                           upper-left corner of the import range.

        Right    R         Moves the import cursor one (or more)
                 R ddd     cells to the right, skipping over any
                           data already on the sheet.

        Left     L         Moves the import cursor one (or more)
                 L ddd     cells to the left, skipping over any
                           data already on the sheet.

        Down     D         Moves the import cursor one (or more)
                 D dddd    rows down, skipping over any data
                           already on the sheet.

        Up       U         Moves the import cursor one (or more)
                 U dddd    rows up, skipping over any data already
                           on the sheet.

        Width    W ddd     Sets the column width on the SHEET of
                           the column targeted for the next field.

        Format   F fdd A   Sets the cell display format for cells
                           imported after this command field.


In the above list  the notation dd, ddd, or dddd stands  for a string of
up to 2, 3,  or 4 decimal digits used in the  command.  Any blank spaces
between the command identifying letter and the parameters of the command
are optional.  Command  letters may be in either upper  or lower case (H
or h, R or r, ...) but  must immediately follow the left curly brace ({)
character which begins the command field.

The following are examples of valid command fields:

        {H}      Moves the import cursor to the beginning of the
                 range for the File Import COMMA operation.

        {R}      Skips the cursor one cell to the right.

        {L 12}   Moves 12 cloumns to the left.

        {D123 }  Moves 123 rows down, skipping lines.

        {U 8193} Moves the cursor to the top line of the import
                 range (see note below about large numbers).

        {W 15}   Sets the column width to 15 characters.

As  indicated in  the  above example  of the  Up  command, COMMA  limits
actions of the special commands to reasonable numbers.  A Left operation
can not back up to a column  before the selected import range, and an Up
can not move above  the top import line.  A value  greater than 8192 for
the Down command is treated as a move to row 8192, and a value above 256
for the  Right command  is treated  as a  move to  column 256,  but such
locations are subject  to being cut off because they  are likely outside
of the import range initially specified.  Similarly, a column Width more
than 240 will be ignored by Symphony.

Aside from direct cursor movements ordered  by the commands, they do not
affect the current  import cursor position.  A command does  not have to
be followed  by a  comma, so  the cell pointer  will not  necessarily be
updated by  the existence  of a  command in the  input stream.   This is
especially useful so  that the Width command and the  Format command can
be  included with  the data  that they  modify, in  which case  no comma
should be placed between the command's closing right-brace character and
the beginning of the data field value.

The Format command field affects all  data cells imported until the next
Format command.  The initial cell display format is Reset (with Prevent-
Changes for protected  cells).  The Format command  uses specifiers like
those shown  in the Symphony control  panel for SHEET cells:  e.g. C2 is
Currency with 2 decimal places, T1 is a Time format, F0A indicates Fixed
with zero decimals and Allow-Changes when global protection is on, etc.

The following Format types are recognized:

        CODE     EXAMPLE   Symphony FORMAT
        -------  --------  ----------------------------------------
        F0..15    1234.56  Fixed, with 0-15 decimal places
        S0..15   1.23E+03  Scientific, with 0-15 decimal places
        C0..15    $123.45  Currency, with 0-15 decimal places
        P0..15   1,234.56  Punctuated, with 0-15 decimal places
        %0..15     12.34%  Percent (%), with 0-15 decimal places
        G         1234.56  General, like Fixed or Scientific
        D1..5      05-Sep  Date, in 5 Symphony formats
        T1..4    10:36 AM  Time, in 4 Symphony formats
        B        ++++      Bar-Graph (+), horizontal graph
        L        +A1-B2    Literal, formula text displayed
        H                  Hidden, no cell value displayed
        R        1234.563  Reset, cell display in default format

The Format command begins with a left-brace and an F (or f), and then it
contains one  of the format  type specifiers and an  optional protection
override flag.  Spaces can be used to separate the format type -- one or
two  characters  --  from  the  F command  letter  for  clarity,  but  a
two-character type specifier (e.g. C2) can not have imbedded spaces.

In order to set the Allow-Changes flag for a cell, the Format command is
specified with an "A" at the end of the format code (optionally preceded
by spaces for clarity).  If the "A" is not given, the default protection
status (Prevent-Changes) is incorporated into the cell format.
The following are examples of Format commands:

        {F F2}   Fixed, with 2 decimal places.
        {FS07 }  Scientific, 7 decimal places
        {F C0 A} Currency, no decimals, Allow-Changes
        {FP12}   Punctuated, with 12 decimal places
        {F %0}   Percent, no decimal places
        {FG}     General format
        {F D1 }  Date format 1 (DD-MMM-YY)
        {FT2}    Time format 2 (HH:MM:SS AM/PM)
        {F BA }  Bar-Graph, Allow-Changes
        {F L }   Literal, formula text instead of value
        {FH}     Hidden, no cell value displayed
        {F R}    Reset, back to default cell format
        {FRA}    Reset, but with Allow_changes flag

All of the format  codes may be specified in either  upper case or lower
case alphabetic characters.  If an unknown format code is specified, the
Format command  is ignored.  If  no Format command  is given, or  if the
Reset  code  is specified,  then  subsequent  imported cells  adopt  the
default  format of  the  Symphony SHEET  window  currently active.   The
Format command does not affect the default format status of Symphony.

The following example illustrates several of the features of File Import
COMMA.  If the ASCII file shown is imported to a range beginning at E21,
the Symphony SHEET window will appear as indicated.

                                  INPUT
(In this representation of the ASCII import file, CRLF indicates the end
of an input line, i.e.  Carriage-Return Line-Feed, and EOF indicates the
End-Of-File mark.)

{W18}Region, {W12} ["Income], ["Expense]{w 12} , {W12 }["Profit]CRLF
[\-],,,[\-],{F p2}    CRLF
West Coast, 12345.67, 11e3, [+b3-c3]CRLF
"""Newest"" States" ,,50000,[+b4-c4]      CRLF
"East Coast" {r} 98765, 12345%, [+B5-C5] CRLF
CRLF
[^TOTAL]{r 3}{f C2}[@sum(D3..d5)] EOF

                                 OUTPUT

   |-------------E--------------F-----------G-----------H---------I----|
   21   Region                 Income     Expense      Profit          |
   22   ------------------                        ------------         |
   23   West Coast          12,345.67   11,000.00    1,345.67          |
   24   "Newest" States                 50,000.00  (50,000.00)         |
   25   East Coast          98,765.00      123.45   98,641.55          |
   26                                                                  |
   27         TOTAL                                $49,987.22          |
   28                                                                  |
   |===================================================================|