COPY TO
Export records to a new database (.dbf) file or ASCII text file
Syntax
COPY [FIELDS <idField list>] TO <xcFile>
[<scope>] [WHILE <lCondition>] [FOR <lCondition>]
[SDF | DELIMITED [WITH BLANK | <xcDelimiter>] |
[VIA <xcDriver>]]
Arguments
FIELDS <idField list> specifies the list of fields to copy to the target file. The default is all fields.
TO <xcFile> specifies the name of the target file. The file name can be specified either as a literal file name or as a character expression enclosed in parentheses. If SDF or DELIMITED is specified, .txt is the default extension. Otherwise, .dbf is the default extension.
<scope> defines the portion of the current database file to COPY. The default is ALL records.
WHILE <lCondition> specifies the set of records meeting the condition from the current record until the condition fails.
FOR <lCondition> specifies the conditional set of records to copy within the given scope.
SDF specifies the output file type as a System Data Format ASCII text file. Records and fields are fixed length.
DELIMITED specifies the output file type as a delimited ASCII text file where character fields are enclosed in double quotation marks (the default delimiter). Records and fields are variable length.
DELIMITED WITH BLANK identifies an ASCII text file in which fields are separated by one space and character fields have no delimiters.
DELIMITED WITH <xcDelimiter> identifies a delimited ASCII text file where character fields are enclosed using the specified delimiter. <xcDelimiter> can be specified either as a literal character or as a character expression enclosed in parentheses.
See the tables below for more information regarding the format specifications for ASCII text files created using these arguments.
VIA <xcDriver> specifies the replaceable database driver (RDD) to use to create the resulting copy. <cDriver> is name of the RDD specified as a character expression. If <cDriver> is specified as a literal value, it must be enclosed in quotes.
If the VIA clause is omitted, COPY TO uses the driver in the current work area. If you specify the VIA clause, you must REQUEST the appropriate RDDs to be linked into the application.
Note: If the DELIMITED WITH clause is specified on a COPY or APPEND command, it must be the last clause specified.
Description
COPY TO is a database command that copies all or part of the current database file to a new file. Records contained in the active database file are copied unless limited by a <scope>, a FOR|WHILE clause, or a filter.
If DELETED is OFF, deleted records in the source file are copied to <xcFile> where they retain their deleted status. If DELETED is ON, however, no deleted records are copied. Similarly, if a FILTER has been SET, invisible records are not copied.
Records are copied in controlling index order if there is an index open in the current work area and SET ORDER is not zero. Otherwise, records are copied in natural order.
In a network environment, Clipper opens the target database file EXCLUSIVEly before the COPY TO operation begins. Refer to the “Network Programming” chapter.
This table shows the format specifications for SDF text files:
SDF Text File Format Specifications
------------------------------------------------------------------------
File Element Format
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Character fields Padded with trailing blanks
Date fields yyyymmdd
Logical fields T or F
Memo fields Ignored
Numeric fields Padded with leading blanks for zeros
Field separator None
Record separator Carriage return/linefeed
End of file marker 1A hex or CHR(26)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This table shows the format specifications for DELIMITED and DELIMITED
WITH <xcDelimiter> ASCII text files:
DELIMITED Text File Format Specifications
------------------------------------------------------------------------
File Element Format
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Character fields Delimited, with trailing blanks truncated
Date fields yyyymmdd
Logical fields T or F
Memo fields Ignored
Numeric fields Leading zeros truncated
Field separator Comma
Record separator Carriage return/linefeed
End of file marker 1A hex or CHR(26)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This table shows the format specifications for DELIMITED WITH BLANK
ASCII text files:
DELIMITED WITH BLANK Text File Format Specifications
------------------------------------------------------------------------
File Element Format
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Character fields Not delimited, trailing blanks truncated
Date fields yyyymmdd
Logical fields T or F
Memo fields Ignored
Numeric fields Leading zeros truncated
Field separator Single blank space
Record separator Carriage return/linefeed
End of file marker 1A hex or CHR(26)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Examples
. This example demonstrates copying to another database file:
USE Sales NEW
COPY TO Temp
. This example demonstrates the layout of a DELIMITED file:
COPY NEXT 1 TO Temp DELIMITED
TYPE Temp.txt
Result:
"Character",12.00,19890801,T
. This example demonstrates the layout of an SDF file with four
fields, one for each data type:
USE Testdata NEW
COPY NEXT 1 TO Temp SDF
TYPE Temp.txt
Result:
Character 12.0019890801T
. This example demonstrates the layout of a DELIMITED file WITH
a different delimiter:
COPY NEXT 1 TO Temp DELIMITED WITH '
TYPE Temp.txt
Result:
'Character',12.00,19890801,T
Seealso
APPEND FROM, COPY FILE, COPY STRUCTURE, SET DELETED
