QuickFile III: Merging Files

QuickFile III: Merging Files

Even though QuickFile doesn't offer you the option of merging files, it does
give you a foot in the door by letting you print reports to diskette. To merge
files in QuickFile:
 
First, design a "labels" format that prints each field of a record one below
the other, with no blank lines between labels. Even if a field is blank, choose
to print lines on continuous paper with no top or bottom margins and no
headers. This will result in a file of contiguous, identically-structured
records. Be sure that the files have the same number of fields in each record;
control this number with the report format. The names of the fields are
irrelevant. After the files you want to combine are printed to diskette, use
AppleWriter, Pascal Editor, or a similar text editor to combine the files and
re-save them to diskette as one file.
 
Apple III users with Pascal can then make an EXEC file that starts up QuickFile
and creates a new file. You must create a new file, though: you can't jump
right into an existing file, since the EXEC mechanism cannot recognize and
record the OA-I you need in order to go into Insert Mode. Don't terminate (%%)
the EXEC file until QuickFile is waiting for input of the first field of the
first record of the new file. After terminating the EXEC file, quit QuickFile.
Don't save this new file, though. Using your text editor again, load the EXEC
file, and then load your combined file (see above) into the position just
before the "%%%%". Again save the file. Executing this file will cause a new
QuickFile file to be created, and all of your data will be "typed" in by the
disk drive.

Back