How to use ASCII Utilities in ESC

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This article will explain how to use the ASCII import/export tools within ESC. These tools allow for easy importing and exporting of data into the database tables.

Exporting a Table Out of ESC:

  1. Click on File → Import/Export → Export Data to ASCII.
  2. When the screen opens, click on the drop down arrow next to the Name of Table field and select the table to export. The export file name will appear in the field and the Export File Name field will display the default location of C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\ESC\FileName.txt. (On a users system the UserName will be the name of the user that is logged into the computer and the FileName will be replaced with the actual name of the file to export) You may change this download path to any place on the computer but be sure to leave the file name and extension in the path. To change it to the root of the C drive for example, the path would be C:\FileName.txt.
  3. After the file is exported, locate and open it in Excel (it exports out as a tab-delimited file) or other third party program as needed.

Note: If you plan on importing this data back into ESC, be sure Excel does not strip out any leading zeros!

Importing a Table into ESC:

Whenever importing data into ESC, it is very important to first perform a backup in the program by going to File → Backup Your Data. This will provide you with a means to restore your data in the event that the import did not work properly.

If you are importing data that was not created by ESC and then exported, we highly recommend you download the Data Conversion Bible (see attachment). This Excel spreadsheet will show you the most commonly imported tables and the data required for each.

  1. Click on File → Import/Export → ASCII Import Utility.
  2. When the screen opens, click on the Add New button.
  3. In the Destination Table tab, select the table that you will be importing, click Next.
  4. In the Source Table tab, the default destination location for the import file is c:\program files\desco\esc. If your import file is in a different place, change to that directory and you should be able to click and highligh your file in the right column called Files. Click Next.
  5. In the Match Fields tab, if the data to be imported is formatted exactly the way that it exists in ESC, then all columns on the left will match those on the right. The left column is what is in ESC as a default and the right column is the headers for the import file. If you wish to remap one column to another, right-click on the box from the left column, hold the mouse button down and drag to the right column about half way between the columns and then let the mouse button go. This will remove the line connecting the two headers. To attach columns, drag the mouse from the left column to the right using the left mouse button. When all columns are properly matched, click Next.
  6. On the Finish tab you will need to first name the interface and then select from one of the four options listed and then click Save.
  7. You will be returned to the beginning screen and will now notice the interface you just created with a .DWZ reference. Click on this .DWZ file and you click the Test button to see what will be displayed in the import. If you are satisfied with where the data is going, click the Import button to grab the data. Otherwise, click the Edit button and change the file as needed.
  8. Once the import completes, do any other imports that are needed, exit the utility and test.

NOTE: ESC Technical Support does not provide assistance with third party data imports into ESC because we provide data conversion services for a fee as part of our business. As a result, if any problems are encountered with the importing of data, we can only restore your database back to the last known good backup.

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