Exporting Collections to External Files

You can export the data in a collection to an external file, which in turn can be imported into another application. Field values in the external file can be separated by either commas or tabs. Each record in the collection becomes a row in the exported file. Each field (property) becomes a column.

If you want to export the files to a spreadsheet, you can use the To Excel option instead of this process.

Note: 
  • By default, columns in the file are ordered left-to-right according to an internal property list. The order does not necessarily follow the order of columns in any grid shown on the form. However, if you use the To Excel menu option, and the currently selected field is either in a grid or has a related grid on the form, you can choose whether the spreadsheet should match the sequence of columns in the related grid or the order of the internal property list.
  • In the spreadsheet, columns are created for the data (property) for each visible component on the form. If more than one visible component is bound to the same data (for example, a grid column and a combo box), there is just one column in the export. Columns that are hidden on the form are still included in the export if other visible components are bound to the same property.
  • Rows with multi-line fields that contain carriage returns and line feeds do not export to a file in a regular way. To export such rows, you must copy the collection to a spreadsheet. For more information, see Copying Data to/from a Spreadsheet.

To export a collection to an external file:

  1. Open the form and display the collection that you want to export.
  2. Select Form > Export to File.
  3. In the Source Collection field, select the name of the collection you want to export. If you do not know the name, return to the form and click a section of the form that displays the collection. Then, to see the name of the current collection, click Help > About This Form.
  4. In the Cap Option field, select one of these options:
    • To export only the records currently displayed in the collection, select From data currently in the collection.
    • To retrieve and export all records that match the current filter criteria, select Unlimited query.
  5. In the Output File Type field, select one of these options:
    • Comma-separated generates output with quotation marks around each string item and then separated with commas, as shown in this example:

      "doejo",4,"",1,"john.doe@acmemfg.com","",

    • Tab-separated generates output with tabs between fields, as shown in this example:

      doejo      4               1       john.doe@acmemfg.com             

    Note:  Make sure that the external application in which you want to view the collection supports the format you select here.
  6. In the Output File Name field, specify the full path and file name of the external file being created. If you do not specify a path, the system saves the file in the folder that contains the Infor tools program files or, if you opened the application with a Windows shortcut, in the Start in folder.
  7. Click OK.
Related topics
Using Collections Outside the Application
Copying Data to/from a Spreadsheet
Creating and Formatting Graphs from a Collection