Export Data option

Choose this option to export data in different formats. The following table describes the menu that appears when you choose this option.

Table 1. Export Data menu
Menu option Description
DIF ... Exports data records in DIF format
SYLK ... Exports data records in SYLK format
Text ... Exports data records in plain text format
Microsoft Word Merge Data... Exports data records to Microsoft Word in text format

Choose these options to export data in the specified format. When you choose the desired format, the Data Dictionary alphabetically lists all the tables defined for your database. When you select a table, a dialog box similar to the one shown in the following figure appears.

Figure 1. Export Text dialog box


The Export Text dialog box contains the following user-interface elements:

  • Effective Tenant — For databases enabled for multi-tenancy, the tenant of the data being exported (not shown in the following figure).
  • Output File — Specifies the name of the destination file. The following table lists the export format file extensions.
Table 2. Export format file extensions
File format Extension
DIF .dif
SYLK .sl
Text .txt
WordStar .txt
Microsoft Word .doc
WordPerfect .txt

If your output is to text format, the Output Record Formatting dialog box shown in the following figure appears.

Figure 2. Output Record Formatting dialog box


The Output Record Formatting dialog box contains the following user-interface elements:

  • Record Start String — Specifies the character that indicates the beginning of a record. Enter the appropriate three-digit code.
  • Record End String — Specifies the character that indicates the end of a record. The default is a carriage return (~012).
  • Field Delimiter — Specifies the character that surrounds a field. The default is a quotation mark (").
  • Field Separator— Specifies the character that separates fields. The default is a comma (,).
    Note: Do not use an escape character, tilde (~), or backslash (\) as a field delimiter or field separator.

    For all formats, the Data Dictionary informs you of the number of records it dumped in specified format and prompts you to continue.

  • WHERE-Clause — Specifies the record selection criteria (for example, WHERE cost > 100). A record becomes a row in a worksheet, and the worksheet starting point is always row 1, column 1. The default is to select all the records.
  • BY-Clause — Specifies that you want to sort the records using a BY clause (for example, BY name). The default is to use the primary index.
  • Export Fields — Specifies the fields you want to export. The default value is Some. Each field corresponds to a worksheet column.

    If you specify Selected Fields, the Data Dictionary lists all the fields in the specified file. To select a field, press SPACEBAR to highlight the field, than press RETURN. Select the fields in the order you want to export them into your destination file. To skip a column in the worksheet, do not press RETURN while the field is highlighted. Press GO to export the fields.

  • Disable Triggers During Export — Specifies whether to disable triggers during the export.