flat file

ranga1970 · Post by **ranga1970** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 11:17 am

Hi,
I am having an flat file in fixed width format
how could I find from this from what width to what width the a particular field is
do the person who created it have to tell me or is thare any other method, I am new to flat files
second question is how could we find how many records are present in the flat file
thanks

Sainath.Srinivasan · Post by **Sainath.Srinivasan** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 11:25 am

You need the creator of the file to say the format of the file.

To find the number of rows, use 'wc -l <filename>'

If you have the header (and trailer) as part of the file, you may have to do your math accordingly.

amsh76 · Post by **amsh76** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 11:53 am

There should be some metadata for that file. You need to ask the creatoe for file layout..that you will import in your Flatfile stage.

ketfos · Post by **ketfos** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 11:55 am

Hi,
You have flat file with fixed width columns.

The person who designed the file had in mind the column width for each column in the file. He should able to tell you what format he chose while he desinged the file layout.

Ketfos

ray.wurlod · Post by **ray.wurlod** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 3:34 pm

Or she.

Of course, you may be able to discern what's in what column by inspection but you would need to be lucky (for example string, number, string, number kind of layout). For all numeric data it's far more difficult.

scottr · Post by **scottr** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 4:01 pm

ask ur manager about DSA's (data sharing agrements) or any document if the feed is comming from another system.

or openup the sequential stage which is using this file and have a look at columns then click view data,if u succeed then u can save this info as table defination then ur done