How to import a text file with more than 255 fields into Access

[OBP]

jonh, I thought I had tried vblf on it's own, but I obviously didn't, so thanks for the heads up.
The solution that I provided to Winxmun will work using vblf instead of "|".
I hope the OP comes back.
The only problem I can foresee is if there are more than 65,000 characters in the file, because the file comes across as one Record when using Line Input.

[andycl]

I'm hesitant to go down the path of using ADO to query the text file because of the Jet engine not playing nice on 64 bit machines and this application will be running on that. However it does look like I could query the fields I only desired and that would cut my field count less than 255 avoiding the import error we are facing. Thoughts? Thanks for the comments jonh

I tried altering what winxmun provided (thanks by the way) and could not get the record delimiter working.

If you change the file extension from .txt to .csv and open using it splits fields appropriately. Using DoCmd.TransferText acImportDelim doesn't all you to specify ranges for the import. Is there another way or does that go back to using ADO to query the file?

[OBP]

andycl, do not worry I will provide you with the VBA code today.
There are 2 methods to do this, the first is to use a combination of Winxmun's code and yours, Winxman's to segment the data in to it's Records and your Split routine to parse it into fields. I do not like this method because of the limit it puts on the number of records in the text file exceeding the 65,000 character string length.
Method 2, using Input takes me back to my original BASIC training in the 80s when I built databases where all data was input and output 1 character at a time.
It might be a bit slower than line input but it will do it.

If the owners of the data were to change the vblf to Carriage & returnlinefeed the line input would work OK.

ps do you want to keep this data as 1 field "BFN-2-XM-046-0018/16, RFWCS NODE BUS INTERFACE" as jonh says, this combines " and , in one field and parsing with Split would split it in to
"BFN-2-XM-046-0018/16,
&
RFWCS NODE BUS INTERFACE"

[OBP]

Here is what you want, it is quite fast considering it is bringing in the file a character at a time.
You will have to review the key & indexed fields as I had to set some of them to Duplicates allowed.
I think that the RecordID that I added should probably be an Autonumber field, otherwise at the moment each import will duplicate those numbers.

[andycl]

Keeping it as one field is appropriate.

[andycl]

I'm downloading what you posted right now to take a look. Thank you for doing this. I'll get back with you once I have went through what you have provided.

[andycl]

OBP, this is fantastic. I was able to use what you provided and incorporate it with the file dialog picker to allow the user to browse for to their file. Everything looks great and pulls in nicely to the tables. The only thing I noticed was tblImport1 is off by one column. Everything needs to shift one column to the right. I couldn't get it worked out. As far as a primary key goes, I tried setting RecordID to AutoNumber - No Duplicates and as you said that limits you to one import. The "location" number in tblImport1 is a unique number. There will never be a duplicate. Can I include that field in the tblImport2 import and use it as my primary key? I am already using the location number as a primary key in other tables. If I should have mentioned that earlier and it throws things off I apologize.

Thanks again. I would have spent many more days coming to a solution.

[OBP]

Try this version, I think it incorporates what you discussed.

[andycl]

OBP, what you provided works great. It's functioning exactly how it should. I am going through the vb and trying to comment everything so I understand it thoroughly. I need to understand it line by line so I can revise it or explain it if necessary. I may end up up pinging you for some clarification on a few lines if that will work.

I have one other text file with 282 fields so I would think I can use the same code and only have to change the keyfields number from 63 to 83 for the primary key in table 2.

I appreciate your help.

[OBP]

andy, no problem, as you say you should be able to use the 83 column count.
Let me know if you don't understand any of the code.
There may be a few redundant Dim statements as I modified the original code quite a lot.

[andycl]

I added comments to what I think is going and wanted to get your response for those as well as the lines not commented. Once again, thanks.

Dim i As Integer
    Do Until EOF(1)
        xchar = Input(1, #1) 'Get one character
        If xchar = vbLf Then 'Linefeed start at next line
            reccount = reccount + 1 'not sure
            fieldcount = 1 'not sure
            reclength = 0 'not sure
            'MsgBox reccount
            'GoTo skip
            If reccount > 1 Then
                With rst
                    .AddNew
                    For i = 1 To 200
                        .Fields(i) = fieldstring(i) 'not sure
                        fieldstring(i) = "" 'double quotes are around some of the records
                    Next i
               .Update
                End With
                With rst2
                    .AddNew
                    .Fields(63) = keyfield 'set primary key in tblImport2
                    For i = 1 To maxfields - 200 'write records to remaining fields storedd in tbl2
                        .Fields(i) = fieldstring(i + 200)
                        fieldstring(i + 200) = ""
                    Next i
               .Update
                End With
        End If
    'skip:
    Else
        If reccount > 0 Then
        x = x + 1
            If xchar = Chr(34) Then 'hand "" records
                If first = 0 Then
                    first = 1 'not sure
                Else
                    first = 0
                End If
                'MsgBox x
            End If
            'MsgBox x & " " & fieldcount & " - " & "first - " & first
            If first = 1 Then
                fieldstring(fieldcount) = fieldstring(fieldcount) & xchar
            Else
                If xchar <> "," Then fieldstring(fieldcount) = fieldstring(fieldcount) & xchar
                If xchar = "," And first = 0 Then
                    fieldcount = fieldcount + 1
                    If fieldcount = 25 Then keyfield = fieldstring(24)
                End If
            End If
        End If
        maxfields = fieldcount
   End If

[OBP]

Dim i As Integer 
Do Until EOF(1) 
    xchar = Input(1, #1) 'Get one character
    If xchar = vbLf Then 'Linefeed end of current record, process the transfer of data in to the table
        reccount = reccount + 1 'counts the number of records to ensure we actually get to the end of the file
        fieldcount = 1 'reset the count of how many fields have been processed
        reclength = 0 ' was used to measure the length of the record can be removed
        'MsgBox reccount  for testing no longer needed
        'GoTo skip for testing no longer needed
        If reccount > 1 Then  ' process if not heading record
            With rst ' process first table
                .AddNew 
                For i = 1 To 200 ' count fields
                    .Fields(i) = fieldstring(i) 'set table field to constructed array string (i)
                    fieldstring(i) = "" 'resets all the fields back to nothing
                Next i 
                .Update 
            End With 
            With rst2 'process second table
                .AddNew 
                .Fields(63) = keyfield 'set primary key in tblImport2
                For i = 1 To maxfields - 200 'write records to remaining fields stored in tbl2
                    .Fields(i) = fieldstring(i + 200) 'set table field to constructed array string (i plus the 200 already prcessed)
                    fieldstring(i + 200) = "" ' reset all the fields back to nothing
                Next i 
                .Update 
            End With 
        End If 
        'skip: no longer used
    Else ' if no linefeed has been found add the single characters to the current array for the current record
        If reccount > 0 Then 
            x = x + 1 
            If xchar = Chr(34) Then 'test for a quote inside the array
                If first = 0 Then ' has the "first quote" flag already been set which means the quotes have now been opened ignore following commas 
                    first = 1 'if it has not been set then set it
                Else ' so the first quote flag has been set so reset it back to zero, this means the quote in the current array is closing the quotes process the following commas
                    first = 0 
                End If 
                'MsgBox x was used to count character not needed
            End If 
            'MsgBox x & " " & fieldcount & " - " & "first - " & first display processing data not needed
            If first = 1 Then ' quotes are now open ignore comma which is a Field Seperator
                fieldstring(fieldcount) = fieldstring(fieldcount) & xchar ' add character to the current array
            Else ' quotes not opened so take in to account commas 
                If xchar <> "," Then fieldstring(fieldcount) = fieldstring(fieldcount) & xchar 'add character if not a comma, ie end of current field
                If xchar = "," And first = 0 Then ' if it is a comma and quotes are not open the increement the array counter
                    fieldcount = fieldcount + 1 'increement the array counter
                    If fieldcount = 25 Then keyfield = fieldstring(24) ' if the number of fields is now 25 it means the previous field was the keyfield so set a string with it's value
                End If 
            End If 
        End If 
        maxfields = fieldcount ' store the number of fields process no longer needed
    End If

[andycl]

Thanks for taking the time to do that. It helped out. For variable fieldstring(1000), is there a string limit? What actually is the limit of characters it can read and successfully import?

[OBP]

The string capacity is between 65,000 and 2billion characters so using the current import VBA this should be no problem at all as the strings are only used for the individual Fields, not the records or the overall file as the original one was.
As there is a limit on the field size (255) when set to text if you do come across any larger than that you will have to change the field to type Memo.

[andycl]

A file with 500 plus records should even work if I understand what your are saying correctly. I am working on the second file to import. The primary key will be in the second table. Shouldn't I move .fields(PK record location) = keyfields up to the Add rst of the first tblImport? But by doing that there in nothing to add because the vba has not gotten to PK in the second set of records.

[OBP]

500 records will be fine.
You will have to change the line of code that sets the key field string (fieldcount = 25) to reflect the number of the key field in the second table and then add the string to the first table key field after processing the second table.
So you would need to move line

.Fields(63) = keyfield 'set primary key in tblImport2

to after the table 2 processing with this code

With rst ' process first table
    .AddNew 
    .Fields(whatever the key field is in table 1) = keyfield 'set primary key in tblImport1
    .Update 
            End With

[andycl]

Hey OBP, I am having an issue with importing a the second file (same data structure as the first). I moved the keyfield to after rst2 but it actually crashes in the first rst. I have tried a few different things but I receive Run-Time error 3265: Item cannot be found in the collection corresponding to name or ordinal. I've checked to make sure all field names in the file are also in the tables I am importing and do not see an issue. I will look again because the run-time error is usually because of omissions like that. If it is meaning something else, please inform me. Here's the code I have so you can see if I have something wrong. I appreciate any input.

With rst 'process first table
.AddNew
For i = 1 To 200
.Fields(i) = fieldstring(i)
fieldstring(i) = ""
Next i
.Update
End With

With rst2 'process second table
.AddNew
For i = 1 To maxfields - 200
.Fields(i) = fieldstring(i + 200)
fieldstring(i + 200) = ""
Next i
.Update
End With

With rst
.AddNew
.Fields(200) = keyfield 'set primary key in tblImport2
.Update
End With
End If
Else
If reccount > 0 Then
x = x + 1
If xchar = Chr(34) Then
If first = 0 Then
first = 1
Else
first = 0
End If
End If


If first = 1 Then
fieldstring(fieldcount) = fieldstring(fieldcount) & xchar
Else
If xchar <> "," Then fieldstring(fieldcount) = fieldstring(fieldcount) & xchar
If xchar = "," And first = 0 Then
fieldcount = fieldcount + 1
If fieldcount = 84 Then keyfield = fieldstring(83)

End If
End If
End If
maxfields = fieldcount
End If

[OBP]

Hello again.
I had that a lot when I was working on the first version.
I assume that you still have the error capture in place, if so before this line

MsgBox "Error #: " & Err.Number & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & Err.Description

add in

MsgBox "record - " & reccount & "  field - " & i

this will tell you what record and field is causing the crash.

[OBP]

You could try a short cut and make the first table's transfer

For i = 1 To 199
or less than 199.

[SamT]

Also see thread File Dialog-Browse/Save/Append