Importing to binary field

Panorama X
1

I am trying to move the data from an old 4th Dimension database (really old! from a 2004 version of 4D!) into a new Pan X database.

I still remember enough 4D programming that I can create a custom export method, and I’ve chosen to export data from binary fields as ‘yes’ to represent true in T/F binary fields. (FWIW, the 4D database was a fairly simple mailing list type file, but it’s structured with related tables; this is not just a simple Export operation using tab or comma-delimited text.)

My problem is that when I try to import that text file into my new Pan X file, nothing appears in the binary fields. (At this point I’ve only got the data sheet to deal with.)

I see that the Import Formulas section at the lower right of the text import window, but it’s not clear to me how to edit those lines to convert ‘yes’ values. I’m willing to do this either way: change my export code in 4D, or convert the data as it is imported into Pan X. Which do you recommend?

2

In Panorama, true and false are not binary data. They are integers. False is zero, and true is any nonzero number, with -1 being the standard. I think you want the Panorama field to be integer, rather than binary, and then it becomes a question of how to import or export as -1 and 0.

I don’t know anything about 4D, so I don’t really have any opinion on the best way to do that.

3

Thank you. I’ll edit my 4D export method to use -1 and 0 for values.

I did read the Help files but I found the discussions about binary confusing.

I see that in another Pan X database I created, I used Choice as the field type for T/F. On my detail form, I displayed those fields using Data Button with Checkbox style, and just clicked to indicate T/F when entering data. In the data sheet, I see Yes or blank in those fields.

There was no predecessor from another software for that file, so I never dealt with importing data.