/*
 * $Id: dbdelim.txt,v 1.1 2001/12/18 20:51:20 vszakats Exp $
 */

/*
 * The following parts are Copyright of the individual authors.
 * www - http://www.harbour-project.org
 *
 * Copyright 2001-2002 David G. Holm <dholm@jsd-llc.com>
 *    Documentation for: __dbDelim()
 *
 * See doc/license.txt for licensing terms.
 *
 */

/*  $DOC$
 *  $FUNCNAME$
 *      __dbDelim()
 *  $CATEGORY$
 *      Conversion
 *  $ONELINER$
 *      Copies the contents of a database to a delimited text file or
 *      appends the contents of a delimited text file to a database.
 *  $SYNTAX$
 *      __dbDelim( <lExport>, <xcFile>, [<xcDelim>], [<aFields>],
 *      [<bFor>], [<bWhile>], [<nNext>], [<nRecord>], <lRest>  ) --> NIL
 *  $ARGUMENTS$
 *      <lExport> If set to .T., copies records to a delimited file.
 *      If set to .F., append records from a delimited file.
 *      <xcFile> The name of the text file to copy to or append from.
 *      If a file extension is not specified, ".txt" is used by default.
 *      <xcDelim> Either the character to use as the character field
 *      delimiter (only the first character is used). or "BLANK" (not case
 *      sensitive), which eliminates the character field delimiters and
 *      sets the field separator to a single space instead of a comma.
 *      <aFields> An aray of field names to limit the processint to. If
 *      not specified, or if empty, then all fields are processed.
 *      <bFor> An optional code block containing a FOR expression that
 *      will reduce the number of records to be processed.
 *      <bWhile> An optional code block containing a WHILE expression
 *      that will reduce the number of records to be processed.
 *      <nNext> If present, but nRecord is not present, specifies to
 *      process this number of records, starting with the current record.
 *      A value of 0 means to process no records.
 *      <nRecord> If present, specifies the only record to process. A
 *      value of 0 means to process no records. Overrides nNext and lRest.
 *      <lRest> If lExport is .T., then if set to .T. and there are no
 *      nRecord, nNext, or bWhile arguments, processes all records from
 *      current to last.
 *  $RETURNS$
 *      NIL
 *  $DESCRIPTION$
 *      __dbDelim() copies all or selected contents of a database table
 *      to an SDF text file or appends all or selected contents of an SDF
 *      text file to a database table.
 *  $EXAMPLES$
 *      // Copy delinquent accounts into a delimited text file.
 *      USE ACCOUNTS NEW
 *      COPY TO overdue DELIMITED FOR !EMPTY( accounts->duedate ) ;
 *      .AND. DATE() - accounts->duedate > 30
 *      // Import new customer records.
 *      USE CUSTOMER NEW
 *      APPEND FROM customer DELIMITED
 *  $TESTS$
 *      
 *  $STATUS$
 *      S
 *  $COMPLIANCE$
 *      __dbDelim() is intended to be fully compliant with CA-Clipper's
 *      function of the same name and is the underlying implementation
 *      of the APPEND FROM DELIMITED and COPY TO DELIMITED commands.
 *  $PLATFORMS$
 *      All
 *  $FILES$
 *
 *  $SEEALSO$
 *      __dbSDF(), APPEND FROM, COPY TO
 *  $END$
 */

