Amon Consulting

PO Box 952, Nelson, New Zealand

www.amon.co.nz   info@amon.co.nz

• ExportR
  Revelation application migration and redevelopment data export software
• Revelation Data Migration
  Partial or full Revelation application prototyping, redevelopment and data migration
• OpenInsight
  OpenInsight Data Export Service
• MS Access
  Conversion of exported data to a MS Access database
• For more information, please email exportr@amon.co.nz

The ExportR utility exports Revelation data and data structures (metadata) in either ANSI standard CSV format or fixed field length format

The CSV format is suitable for input to most applications including:

• MS SQL Server
• MS Access
• MS Excel

The software will run under COSMOS Revelation G (all versions) or Advanced Revelation (all versions), referred to as RevG and Arev below

Running the ExportR Revelation data export software requires no knowledge of the Revelation product or application environment

A knowledge of table names, fields and data types is not required

All application data and field information for all attached data files can be exported using a single command entered on the Revelation command line

Data is exported using standard defaults but additional massaging of the output data may be implemented if required

Refer to the 'ExportR Features' section below for details of the extensive output data structuring capability

ExportR Output

For each data file exported, the following DOS CSV format files are produced

1. A data dictionary file containing the data file's metadata
   For example, field name, position, description, type, column header detail, indexing detail and 'help' description text
   A record is created for each field and each symbolic field found.
2. A data file containing the data records
   Data conversions that exist for a field will be applied
   Date fields are output in the format dd mmm yyyy (e.g. 21 FEB 2001) although this format can be over-ridden if required
   A header record is output with the data and will give the Revelation field number and name for each field (column) output
3. If the automated export option is used and the exported data file contained multivalue or subvalue fields (ASCII 253 and 252), then a further data file is created containing only those fields
   A new record is created for each level of multivalue
   If subvalues exist then a separate record is output for each subvalue within each multivalue
   Records are keyed by the original record's key plus a multi-level value number
   A header record is output with the data and will give the Revelation field number and name for each field (column) output

ExportR Features

• ExportR will run under RevG or Arev
  A version to extract data from OpenInsight applications is available
• Installing and running the ExportR software requires a minimal knowledge of Revelation
  Installation is completed once the $EXPORTR file is copied into the main Revelation DOS directory
  To run ExportR, the command RUN DOS EXPORTR is entered into the Revelation command line
• Specifications for file export are input to a DOS file and all output is also to DOS files
  Therefore, a knowledge of the Revelation file editor is not necessary
• If the files for export are unknown, the automated export option will determine which files are data files and will automatically select these for export and create the appropriate file specifications for the export
  These can later be modified as required for future export runs
• All field data is exported for each file (unless the 'specified fields only' option or fixed field length option is used)
  Complete field data output is not dependent on having an associated dictionary field entry or having maximum field lengths correctly specified in the dictionary entry
• An option exists to output data in fixed field length format.
  Dictionary field lengths are used for this but these can be overridden by specifying the justification (left, right or centered) and field length in the file's field specification
• A conversion option exists to apply any existing data conversions found in the data dictionary to the exported fields
• The conversion option will eliminate the export of any fields that contain cross-referenced values from other files, as these are likely to be unwanted for export purposes
• The conversion option will export all fields that contain dates in DD MMM YYYY format (regardless of any dictionary conversion specified) unless an alternative field conversion or global date override format is specified
• If the conversion option is specified, then any fields that are exported containing multivalue or subvalue markers (ASCII 253 and 252) are selected for export to a separate file, with each new multivalue and subvalue within multivalue, output as separate records
• Multivalue fields can be 'flattened' as required
  For example:
  Each line of a data field can be output to a separate field, as in AddressLine1, AddressLine2 etc.
  The last line can be specified to hold all remaining lines with any multivalue markers occurring for this field specified to be replaced with a comma and space (or any other value)
• Duplication of all previous field values or multivalue values through each multivalue and subvalue record output can be specified for the multivalue file output option
• Literal values can be specified to be output for any column
  This is useful in creating scripts for HTML, XML etc.
• Each output field can have an associated Revelation conversion (OCONV) format specified
  If user defined conversions have been specified for a field then these will override the dictionary conversion
• Field numbers or field names (including symbolic) can be specified for output in any sequence
  Any symbolic field contained on the VOC file can also be specified for any file
• If no field specifications are given, then all existing fields are selected for output in field sequence
• Each file specification is entered on a single line
  Multiple files can be specified and multiple exports from the same file can be specified for a single export run
• File specification lines can be 'commented out' to omit them from the export run
• An option exists to include a header record as the first record for any file exported
  The header record will contain column headers formed from the Revelation file's field number suffixed with the Revelation field name, if it exists
• A DOS filename for each exported file can be specified
  If a DOS filename is not specified, ExportR will create a unique DOS filename for each export file
• A file is created for each ExportR run which will provide details of all Revelation files selected, DOS filenames assigned, fields output and field conversions applied.
  This file can be modified by adjusting files, fields, run parameters and field sequencing etc.
  It can then be used as the input specification for further export runs.
• A comprehensive Log file is produced
  For each file specified for export, the log file will show
  • each Revelation file exported
  • any errors encountered in the file specifications
  • the real file name for any filename aliases fields that do not contain data
  • the DOS filename(s) created
  • run parameters used
  • number of records exported
  • number of bytes exported
    and
  • largest record size
  For Arev files it will show the file account name and file path
  Run statistics for each file and grand totals for the complete run are shown
  These include totals for
  • file counts
  • field counts
  • records read
  • records output
  • bytes output
    and
  • elapsed time
  In addition, for test sample runs, an estimate of time and byte output is given for each file with grand totals given for all files
• Output to csv format is in standard comma separated values format with a DOS file extension (suffix) of '.csv'
  Fields containing linefeeds, quotes or commas are enclosed in quotes
  The exported file format is suitable for import into applications such as MS Excel or MS Access
• Overrides can be specified to replace the standard delimiters used for .csv format. The record delimiter, field delimiter and end of line text delimiter values can be overridden as required
• User-written conversion subroutines can be specified to achieve the required output format for any field
• A character or characters can be specified to replace all multivalue markers or specified multivalue markers for any field
  ie. any or all characters 250, 251, 252, 253 & 254 can be replaced with any combination of spaces, commas, hyphens etc.
• An option exists to run a test run only of the data which will limit output to a maximum of 2000 records or 20,000 bytes
  This will enable users to identify which files are actual data files and eliminate program and system files before the final export run is performed
• A 'SELECT' clause or file key list can be used to limit the records selected for output for each file
  If preferred, this select information can be specified in a DOS file
• An option exists to also export a separate file containing the dictionary records for all real fields and symbolic fields
  These dictionary records will give field conversions, column headings, field descriptions (i.e. field 'help'), field record position, multivalue information and indexing information
• Suitable for data extraction and data conversion from runtime versions of COSMOS Revelation and Advanced Revelation as well as from all proprietary applications including
  • ADP
  • American Business Management Systems (ABMS)
  • American Business Networking
  • Angel Systems AVENUES
  • Argus
  • Ceridian Encore
  • Ceridian Ensemble
  • Ceridian Repertoire
  • COBRA
  • Comcheq
  • Comsense Advantage
  • Comsense Cecommand
  • Debtmaster
  • Furniture Retail Operations Group (F.R.O.G.)
  • GAAP
  • GPMate
  • Harmony Solutions HRM-ONE
  • HPMS
  • HR/PC Payroll
  • HR-1
  • HR2000 Technologies
  • HR-InfoNet
  • HRIS
  • HRPro
  • IDEAS/OGS
  • Immigration AIDE
  • Infosphere
  • J C Henry & Co
  • Jones Microcomputing Services Software
  • MAPCON
  • Megamation
  • Meridian Data Systems
  • Mills & Murphy HPMS
  • National Software Systems
  • New Century Accounting Modules
  • Paylink
  • Powerforce Software (Time & Attendance T&A Occupational Safety and Health Incident Management OH&S)
  • Royal Bank
  • RetailWare (including ScubaWare)
  • Social Software ACE UMIS YOISPlus+ etc
  • Source 100
  • Spectrum
  • SRP Computer Solutions Software
  • SurveyIt!
  • TD Bank
    and
  • Totally Integrated Management System (TIMS)