Import methods

Calm offers the following import methods:

DScribe Natural
DScribe database
Inflected (tagged)
Non-inflected
DBF file
Files as records
Tab or Comma separated files
Simple
(Other) separated
XML
Report

DScribe Natural import method

This method is used to import records that were exported in DScribe’s Natural format, e.g.:

:Hotel=Regent
-Name
Regent Hotel
-Address
High Street
Brighton
-Phone
0841 612367
-Rooms
30.0
-Price
£ 60.00

The key features of this format are as follows:

The record type is prefixed by a colon, which must be the first character on the line.
If a record is named, the name appears on the same line as the record type, prefixed by an equals sign.
Field names appear on separate lines, prefixed by hyphens, which must be the first character on the line.
Field entries appear on a separate line below the field name, with line breaks where they occur in the field entries.

If the source program can export records as plain text files in this format, this may be the easiest way to transfer records to Calm. You do not need to create an import format file to import records from a file in this format.

DScribe database import method

This method is used to import records from another Calm database (DScribe needs the .TEX file to be present in order to import records from a Calm database). All terms in the imported records are indexed, and the records are added to the existing database. You do not need to create an import format file to import records from a file in this format.

Inflected (tagged) import method

If the program you are using cannot export records in a form that Calm can immediately understand (i.e. Natural format, DScribe database format, dBASE files or tab or comma separated files), you need to decide whether the program produces inflected or non-inflected files, and create a suitable import format file.

Inflected files are a category of textual file formats, rather than a specific format. Inflected files differ from non-inflected files (q.v.) in that the field to which each piece of data belongs is identified explicitly in the file. The beginning and end of each field is indicated by recognizable sets of characters, for example:

AN 44031535
AU MORRIS-M. COOPER-A-S.
TI BIVALVE ENHANCEMENTS
SO J TRAD ENG

AN 44031536
AU ROE-J.
TI EXTRAPOLATING HERRING FECUNDITY TO STOCK LEVELS
SO J FISH EGG COUNTING

In this example, each field has a two-letter code, and the end of the field is indicated by a line break. The import format file describes these identifying strings in a format that Calm can understand.

Because the fields are identified in inflected files, their order is unimportant.

Non-inflected import method

If the program you are using cannot export records in a form that Calm can immediately understand (i.e. Natural format, DScribe database format, dBASE files or tab or comma separated files), you need to find a suitable export format, decide whether it is inflected or non-inflected, and create a suitable import format file.

Like inflected files (q.v.), non-inflected files are a category of textual file formats, rather than a specific format. Unlike inflected files, the only way to identify to which field a piece of text belongs is by its position. For example, a mailing list stored on a word processor might begin:

In this example, fields are separated by vertical bars, but the name of each field is not explicitly stated in the file. To tell Calm how to break up the records (i.e. which character separates each field), and into which fields to import the various pieces of text, you need to create an import format file.

Hint: If the fields are all separated either by tabs or commas and the records are separated by line breaks, you can use the tab or comma separated files import method.

DBF file

This method imports a dBASE file (a .dbf file) directly into Calm.

Files as records import method

If you have one or more small text files (up to 64,000 characters) which you want to import into Calm, you can import a series of files as records. The specified file will be imported as a single record of the selected type, with the entire contents of the file in the first field. There is no need to create an import format file, as DScribe does not need to know anything about the contents of the file.

Note: Make sure that the first field of the selected record type is suitable to hold the contents of the file – usually the first field should be a Text field, unless you are sure that the contents of the file are suitable for a field of another type.

Tab or Comma separated files import methods

These methods allow you to import data from files which have one record per line, with fields separated by a tab character or a comma respectively.

Before you can import these files, you need to choose a record type whose fields match those of the data file. The field names of the Calm record type can be any name you choose, but the order of the fields must be exactly the same as the equivalent fields in the file from which you are importing. This record type should be selected in the Record type box in the Import dialogue box before you click the OK button.

Note:

If you add extra fields in the Calm record type, these must be at the end of the record, and will appear as empty fields in the imported records.
If you define fewer fields in the Calm record type than exist in the tab or comma separated file, the extra fields in the data file are ignored.

You do not need to create an import format file to import records from a file in these formats.

Simple import method

This method allows you to import data from a text file which has records separated by blank lines. All the text between blank lines is imported into the first field of the chosen record type.

You do not need to create an import format file to import records from a file in this format.

(Other) separated

This method is the same as the Tab or Comma Separated methods, except that you can choose the separating character using the 'Separator' field on the import dialogue box. This can allow you to use a much more uncommon character as a separator (such as the | character) which is very unlikely to show up in the text of the import file and disrupt the import.

XML

This method imports from Calm XML, which is the method that you export to if you select 'XML' in the export dialogue box. Calm XML for records in the Catalogue database would begin:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<DScribeDatabase Name="Catalog">
<DScribeRecord>

Note: This method is not intended for importing ArchivesHub or other EAD data: that should be done via the Report option.

Report

Choose this option if you want to import from an XML format like EAD.