The Import Data Dictionary function in the File menu updates the data dictionary from the contents of a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or XML file containing information about an application's tables, fields, and relations. You must have already added the database to the data dictionary; this function then updates properties such as table and field captions, field Reportable status, and table data groups.

Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet

The first row of the Excel spreadsheet must contain headings for the columns. Acceptable column headings are (case is unimportant):

• "Alias" or "Table": the table name.

• "Table Desc" or "Table Caption": the table caption.

• "Field", "Field Name", or "Fieldname": the field name.

• "Field Desc" or "Field Caption": the field caption.

• "Comment": the field comment.

• "Heading": the field heading; if this isn't specified or is blank, the field caption is used.

• "Enumeration": a set of the values for an enumerated field. Specify values as Value=Description;Value=Description;...

• "Data Group" or "Datagroup": the data group or groups the table belongs to.

• "Reportable": the Reportable status of the field.

• "Parent Table": the name of the parent table in a join.

• "Child Table": the name of the child table in a join.

• "Parent Field": the name of the parent field in a join (only for simple joins where a single field in the parent table matches a single field in the child table).

• "Child Field": the name of the child field in a join (only for simple joins)

• "Join Expr": the join expression (that is, the JOIN clause of a SQL statement) for a complex join.

• "Join Type": the join type: 1 for inner join, 2 for a left outer join, 3 for a right outer join, and 4 for an inner join.

• "Join Weight": the join weight to use (see Relation Properties for a discussion of join weight).

All but the first four column headings are optional. The order of the columns is unimportant.

Here's an example of such a spreadsheet:

XML File

Two types of XML import files are supported, one that contains table and field information and one that contains relationship information.

The format for an XML file used for importing table and field information is as follows:

<settings>
  <setting>
    <Table>Table name</Table>
    <TableCaption>Table caption</TableCaption>
    <Field>Field name</Field>
    <FieldCaption>Field caption</FieldCaption>
    <DataGroup>Data group or groups the table belongs to</DataGroup>
    <Reportable>Reportable status of the field</Reportable>
    <Comment>Field comment</Comment>
    <Heading>Field heading</Heading>
    <Enumeration>Value=Description;Value=Description;...</Enumeration>
  </setting>
  ...
</settings>

All but the first four elements are optional. The order of the elements is unimportant. Here's an example of such an XML file:

<settings>
  <setting>
    <Table>Customers</Table>
    <TableCaption>Customer Information</TableCaption>
    <Field>CustomerID</Field>
    <FieldCaption>Customer Number</FieldCaption>
  </setting>
  <setting>
    <Table>Customers</Table>
    <TableCaption>Customer Information</TableCaption>
    <Field>CompanyName</Field>
    <FieldCaption>Company Name</FieldCaption>
  </setting>
</settings>

The format for an XML file used for importing relation information is as follows:

<relations>
  <relation>
    <ParentTable>Parent table name</ParentTable>
    <ParentField>Parent field name (simple joins only)</ParentField>
    <ChildTable>Child table name</ChildTable>
    <ChildField>Child field name (simple joins only)</ChildField>
    <JoinExpr>The join expression (complex joins only)</JoinExpr>
    <JoinType>Join type</JoinType>
    <JoinWeight>Join weight</JoinWeight>
  </relation>
  ...
</relations>

The JoinType and JoinWeight elements are optional. The order of the elements is unimportant. Here's an example of such an XML file:

<relations>
  <relation>
    <ParentTable>Customers</ParentTable>
    <ParentField>CustomerID</ParentField>
    <ChildTable>Orders</ChildTable>
    <ChildField>CustomerID</ChildField>
  </relation>
  <relation>
    <ParentTable>Orders</ParentTable>
    <ParentField>OrderID</ParentField>
    <ChildTable>[Order Details]</ChildTable>
    <ChildField>OrderID</ChildField>
  </relation>
  <relation>
    <ParentTable>Orders</ParentTable>
    <ChildTable>[Order Details]</ChildTable>
    <JoinExpr>Orders.OrderID=[Order Details].OrderID</JoinExpr>
  </relation>
</relations>