Exporting views

Exporting to an ASCII file with comma separated values

A comma separated value file (CSV) formats data as ASCII text with one record per line and with fields separated by commas. When you export to a CSV file, you can choose between exporting all or selected documents in a view. You can choose an export character set -- either Unicode, the International (UTF-8) choice, or the default. You can also choose to include view titles in the exported file.

Notes® on exporting as a CSV file

• When exporting to the CSV format, blank columns are replaced by a pair of quotes ("" "") in the CSV file.
• A category column is treated as the last column, so blank columns after the category columns are ignored and not represented by quotes.
• Entries in collapsed sections of documents are not automatically exported. You must expand the sections to export the data.

Exporting to a worksheet

When you export a view to a worksheet, each document becomes a row in the worksheet. Each field becomes a column in the worksheet. The original field contents become cell contents. Column titles become labels in the worksheet.

When you export a view to a new worksheet file, IBMR Notes® exports the file in 1-2-3® WK1 format. Although you can specify any extension with the file name, it's best to keep the extension .wk1. When you open the exported file in a newer release of 1-2-3®, 1-2-3® automatically converts the file to its new format and adds the appropriate extension.

If you change the exported file to WK2, WK3, or WK4 before opening it in a release of 1-2-3® that uses that extension, and then open the file in 1-2-3® and attempt to add and save attributes, the new copy of the file will be in conflict with the original, and you won't be able to save your changes.

To export to a Microsoft™ Excel file, export the view as a 1-2-3® worksheet, and then save the file in 1-2-3® as a Microsoft™ Excel file.

Exporting to a tabular text file

Tabular text is ASCII text arranged in rows and columns, separated by space characters. When you export a view to a tabular text file, each document becomes a text row (line). Each field becomes a text "column," separated by space characters. The original field contents become the "cell" contents. To see the separation between columns in the exported view, use a monospaced font for the columns in the original view.

The result of a tabular export may not look exactly like the view. Views use a proportionally spaced font, but exports use a monospaced font. Export a few documents as a test. Then, if necessary, adjust the column width settings in the view before you perform the whole export.

To display or edit the contents of a view in a Notes® document, export the view to a tabular text file. Then import the tabular text file into a Notes® document.

Exporting to a structured text file

Structured text is ASCII text that retains its structure in fields and values. Exporting a view to structured text creates a file containing the text of all the documents in the view, minus any rich text attributes.

To export a view

1. Select the database and open the view you want to export.
2. (Optional) Select specific documents to export only a subset of the view.
3. Choose File - Export.
4. Select the file format you're exporting to.
5. Do one of the following:
   • To replace an existing file, select a directory and file name from the list.
   • To create a new file, enter a new file name.
   • To append to an existing tabular text file, select a directory and file name from the list.
6. Click Export.
7. If you selected an existing file, do one of the following:
   • To replace the file, click Replace.
   • To append to an existing file, click Append.
8. Click "All documents" unless you selected specific documents in Step 2.
9. (Optional, for comma separated value format) Select an export character set.
10. (Optional, for 1-2-3® worksheet or tabular text formats) Select "Include View titles" to export the view's column headings to a worksheet or tabular text file.
11. (Optional, for structured text format) Change the inter-document delimiter and word-wrap settings if you are exporting to a structured text file.
12. Click OK.

Delimiter and word wrap settings

• Delimiter - Choose Form Feed to use a form-feed to separate records in the file, or choose Character Code to separate the records in the file with the ASCII code for a delimiter other than the default, ASCII 12 (form-feed), such as:

  32 Space

  44 ,

  45 -

  58 :

  59 ;

  124 |

• Word wrap - Represents the number of characters at which each line wraps. The default is 75 characters.