Text File connector allows reading from/writing to structured .txt, .csv and text files with other extensions or without extensions.
Connector Configuration
User can either work with an existing file or create a file using the connector.
If you are reading from a file
- keep 'Choose file' selected
- enter the complete file to the path (including the file name) to the 'File' field (or click the browse button next to the 'File' field)
If you are writing to an existing file:
- keep 'Choose file' selected
- enter the complete file to the path (including the file name) to the 'File' field (or click the browse button next to the 'File' field)
To create a new file to write data to:
- select 'Create a new file'
- enter the complete file to the path (including the file name and extension) to the 'File' field (or click the browse button next to the 'File' field)
To set the application to generate a new file with the date or timestamp appended to the file name at each run:
- tick 'User File Name Template' checkbox
- enter/select the path to the file folder in the 'Directory' field
- enter the file name, parameters to generate the data/timestamp, and file extension to the 'File Name Template' field
File name template parameters:
y - year
M - month
d - day
H - hour
m - minute
s - second
Example:
fileName%yyyy%MM%dd_.txt_ to have just date attached
fileName%yyyy%MM%dd%HH%mm%ss.txt for timestamp
 | There is a chance that files with the same name will be generated (if a datamap creating new files with date or timestamp appended to file name is run several times during a date for example). If connector generates a file with the name that already exists in the selected directory new records will be added to the ones that already exist in the file. |
Once you are done with setting which file to use, configure 'File Properties' section
By default Apatar is set to treat the first line of a text file as the list of fields. If your file doesn't have field names listed in the first line, uncheck 'First line contains field names'
If your file is not a fixed width file:
- keep 'Delimited' selected
- select the right character from 'Separator' list.
If your file separator is not on the list:
- select 'Other' in 'Separator' field
- enter the separator to the field next to the 'Separator' field
If your existing file has field names and values wrapped in "" or you would like your new file to be formatted this way, check 'Wrap in ""'
If you would like to have the text file deleted when Apatar completes processing, check 'Remove after processing'
 | If you are writing to a file and have this option selected, the file with the newly inserted data will be deleted |
If you would like Apatar to start reading not from the first reading, enter the number of records to be skipped in 'Skip lines'
 | Apatar will still use the first line of the file to analyze file structure and generate fields. |
| 'Skip lines' only makes sense for files with table structure. It +can't+ be used if a table is located in the middle of unstructured text. |
Some files may have records with the number of fields different from the number of fields reported in the first line of the file. Or if a file doesn't have field names listed in the first line, it can be that different records contain different number of fields. To work with such files use 'If the number of columns and number of fields in records don't match' option:
- 'concatenate fields' will concatenate extra fields with the last fields using SPACE
- 'crop fields' will ignore extra fields
When file properties are set up, click 'Next'
If you are creating a new file, you will be able to set this new file's field at the next screen.
- use '+' and '-' to add or remove fields
- set field names by replacing the default 'ColumnN' field name in the 'Name' column
- if you are creating a fixed width file, set each field length in the 'Size' column
When done, click 'Next'
At the last screen, select the right mode for the integration if you are writing to a file. Make sure to select the field(s) that should be used as primary key to match existing and incoming records, if you are using Update or Delete mode
Click 'Finish' to complete the connector configuration
