> Nested File Processing Loops

Working on Macros: DEWEY identification project


Working with very large files from a ret-adm-01 report (Items module)
Requested by Iona Malanchuk

The problem I encountered was the the ret-adm-01 reports were too large to generate their normal table view. The results found from the report were a combination of Dewey and LC call #'s. I only wanted the Dewey Results.

I saved the source code to a temp file on my hard drive and developed a macro to read the results.

I hadn't worked with this particular report type but it wasn't very dissimilar from others I have worked on in the past.

I am writing this post because in the past I have used IF/THEN loops to handle most of the logic involved in the macro process. Because I was also performing a logical function of discriminating between Dewey and LC results I couldn't just strip out the information I wanted to include.

Solution:

I created a Text File Begin Process loop and added an Integer Counter to keep track of what line number I was on. When the macro encountered a Barcode I knew I was at the beginning of the information segment I wanted to analyze.

I then started an embedded Text File Process that started at the line number I was on. This process stripped out the information elements I needed and when it was finished it examined the call # to ensure that it was of the correct type. If it was it then saves the information to a text file that will be converted to an excel spreadsheet.