chadderuski:
Hi fairestcape!
Actually, there are provisions in the EP4 for using tab-delimited files. If you look at the first few lines of easypopulate_4.php, you'll see this. Note that I am using php's fgetcsv() function to read data from the input file. fgetcsv() is not perfect, but it is so much faster and less convoluted than langer's code. Feel free to experiment!
The main issues with fgetcsv() is that the CSV file must be properly formatted. OpenOffice does this correctly, but Excel is finicky depending on the platform (mac/pc) and version you are using.
-chadd
I'll continue with this on the EP4 thread, but do have a comment on the above, that is relevant to 1,2,5,4
We only discovered this a short while ago, but it is very effective in "by-passing" the fussiness of Excel, and the inststence of Excel in saving .txt formats its own way.
This is what we do...
(We use CRIMSON EDITOR as our PLAIN TEXT EDITOR in matters of code editing, etc. So if you want to use our method of creating the tab-delimited TXT file that EP 1.2.5.4 requires, out of an Excel spreadsheet, then go and get CRIMSON EDITOR and install it.)
STEP ONE
Create your initial spreadsheet in MS Excel, using the columns relevant to your data import needs.
STEP TWO
SAVE this as a MS Excel spreadsheet... NOT as a TXT file.
STEP THREE
OPEN Crimson Editor
STEP FOUR
Toggle back to the MS Excel spreadsheet and HIGHLIGHT all the data. CTRL+C (copy) it to computer clipboard.
STEP FIVE
Toggle to Crimson Editor and CTRL+V (paste) clipboard contents.
You now have a "perfect", tab delimited file, which you just need to save as a .txt file.