Exporting points, getting rid of the " marks added to the Description

[Robert P Stenerson]

Recently I've been seeing " marks added to the Description when I'm exporting. I use the Description field to put in Carlson field to finish action codes and /Descriptions, so I have to edit these little buggers out before I import into my Carlson .crd file so I can run the field-to-finish.

Is there a way I can get these little " marks turned off when I'm exporting? There appears to be a setting for adding " marks, but the check box for it is not checked, so I am surprised that I'm seeing them being added to my Description export.

Thanks,
Rory

 

[Shawn Billings]

|Quote Fields with Quotes| should be unchecked. What are you using to look at the export file on your PC? Do the " marks show up in the Preview when you export?

 

[Robert P Stenerson]

Hi Shawn, on the PC I use Notepad, but the " marks also show in the Export Preview on the LS as well.

 

[Mikhail Drakin]

Robert, could you post a sample file here? Quotes are unconditionally added if you have a separator character inside you description, i.e. if you have space set as separator, and your description contains spaces. Also text is put in quotes if it begins or ends with a space.

 

[Adam]

Mikhail, I have seen the same thing as Robert and I use Carlson in the office as well. The Description needs to exported exactly like we enter it for it to work correctly in our office software. I will attach a project for you to look at shortly.

 

[Mikhail Drakin]

Adam, if you set "," as separator and use "," inside the description, will you office software be intelligent enough to understand which comma is inside description, and which separates it from other fields? Or it always thinks that the string after first 3 commas is description regardless of how much commas it contains? In this case you will not be able to create custom CSV exports; or we will have to have yet another option checkbox.
Of course in this specific case it may be a bug, but I still think that descriptions containing separator characters must be screened - at least to be able to import them in Excel or other generic spreadsheet software.

 

[Adam]

After looking back, i had about 5 or 6 points that did this. It looks like there was a space before the description, which caused the " to be put in there. I did not know if you have a space at the beginning. The separators that I use are very few. I use space for multiple codes, I use no space for linework string. When Carlson see's for example ea1, all the ea1's will draw. If I have ea1 ea2 This will be read as two codes, both drawing linework. I always import a simple txt, comma delimited, Point name, N, E, U, Description. I have never really used a comma in a description but I don't think it matters if there is a comma in the description. It doesn't try to start a new field when it sees a comma in description. The " mark can easily be confused with the " inch symbol here in US, especially if the description is numerical.

 

[Adam]

LS50,613414.489,1205626.363,951.587,"IRF "1/2" BG4" BENT
LS51,613278.442,1205612.481,950.036,"IRF "1/2" AG4" BENT
LS52,613278.373,1205612.420,946.515,"IRF "1/2" AG4" BENT
LS53,613142.010,1205598.384,946.239,"IRF ""1/2"" "

IRF was the code and 1/2" AG4" BENT is the Description.
On number LS53 I had two spaces before the description 1/2, I see it put two sets of " marks. Can we put in a toggle to turn off the automatic insertion of " if a space preceeds the description?

 

[Adam]

Adam, if you set "," as separator and use "," inside the description, will you office software be intelligent enough to understand which comma is inside description, and which separates it from other fields? .

I just verified that comma has no problem being in description on office software.

 

[Mikhail Drakin]

I just verified that comma has no problem being in description on office software.

You mean, if you import (literally)
LS50,613414.489,1205626.363,951.587,This,is,description,with,comma
you will yield description "This,is,description,with,comma" ?

Anyway, description with quotes inside should not be screened if you have "Quote Fields with Quotes" off, this option was added specially for such cases. And if the field begins or ends with a space, it is always screened. Please check your settings, or post the complete project backup without media (it will contain settings also, so I'll be able to verify the behaviour with your specific configuration).

And I'd like also to see the data sample from Robert, as it seems to be another kind of problem.

 

[Robert P Stenerson]

After looking back, i had about 5 or 6 points that did this. It looks like there was a space before the description, which caused the " to be put in there. I did not know if you have a space at the beginning. The separators that I use are very few. I use space for multiple codes, I use no space for linework string. When Carlson see's for example ea1, all the ea1's will draw. If I have ea1 ea2 This will be read as two codes, both drawing linework. I always import a simple txt, comma delimited, Point name, N, E, U, Description. I have never really used a comma in a description but I don't think it matters if there is a comma in the description. It doesn't try to start a new field when it sees a comma in description. The " mark can easily be confused with the " inch symbol here in US, especially if the description is numerical.

Hi Adam,

I think you hit my problem, this started when I started putting a space in the first part of my descriptions. I do this because I import my point data into a Carlson environment that requires a space between the Code and the Carlson Field-to-Finish Special Codes and/or the /attribute information.

What I want to import is something that looks like this:
PointName,Northing,Easting,Height,Code, Description

When I don't put a space in the beginning of my descriptions, it will come in like this:
PointName,Northing,Easting,Height,Code,Description

Which requires me to go into Notepad and add the space at the front of the Description field of the .csv text file I will import into Carlson. Maybe this is because I am using the Sep. 2 with a Spc. Here is my setup and preview screens:

 

[Adam]

You mean, if you import (literally)
LS50,613414.489,1205626.363,951.587,This,is,description,with,comma
you will yield description "This,is,description,with,comma" ?

Anyway, description with quotes inside should not be screened if you have "Quote Fields with Quotes" off, this option was added specially for such cases. And if the field begins or ends with a space, it is always screened. Please check your settings, or post the complete project backup without media (it will contain settings also, so I'll be able to verify the behaviour with your specific configuration).

And I'd like also to see the data sample from Robert, as it seems to be another kind of problem.

That is correct.

Also I and Robert too probably has this issue, When you use a code such as IPF, then enter in the description 1/2", we need a space between the code and description, Thats why I tried entering a space into the description first, so when I import it looks like this: IPF 1/2".

 

[Robert P Stenerson]

You mean, if you import (literally)
LS50,613414.489,1205626.363,951.587,This,is,description,with,comma
you will yield description "This,is,description,with,comma" ?

Anyway, description with quotes inside should not be screened if you have "Quote Fields with Quotes" off, this option was added specially for such cases. And if the field begins or ends with a space, it is always screened. Please check your settings, or post the complete project backup without media (it will contain settings also, so I'll be able to verify the behaviour with your specific configuration).

And I'd like also to see the data sample from Robert, as it seems to be another kind of problem.

Thank you Mikhail, I have just sent my project 37-021-098.0-003.00 to support per your request.
Rory

 

[Adam]

For Carlson Office users who take advantage field to finish, it is really a pain to use both code (to take advantage of J field) and descriptions (to take advantage of Carlson). We really need a way to append text to the Code from the Code input box. For example the code IPF if entered in CODES as maybe IPF* could allow the user to append any text here instead of entering the Code, then entering the description, then trying to export them in a way that works with our office software. It should all be done in the CODE somehow. The fastest and simplest way I have started working is using only the description box.

 

[Shawn Billings]

Use second separator SEP2 set to space in export setup, and use this separator between code and description. I use this between attributes also.

Mikhail,
Most of our software is configured for five fields, Name, N, E, U, Description. Once the software separates the first four fields, all text after the fourth separator is considered part of the fifth field.

 

[Robert P Stenerson]

That is correct.

Also I and Robert too probably has this issue, When you use a code such as IPF, then enter in the description 1/2", we need a space between the code and description, Thats why I tried entering a space into the description first, so when I import it looks like this: IPF 1/2".

Hi Adam,

reading through this thread, I think you and I are trying to do the same thing, I am the only guy in this office in the JAVAD J-Field world, and I have to make it fit with the Carlson Software world, the mountain is not coming to me.

For Mikhail,

Our export/imports files need to look like this:

P,N,E,Z,Code_Any thing that we put into the J-Field Description field, exactly as entered in J-Field, including spaces, i.e. the space after the Code and then no commas or quotation marks after the code.

The description field gives Adam and I the flexibility to accommodate Carlson's field-to-finish, multiple coding requirements, and /free form description attributes.

Thanks,
Rory

 

[Shawn Billings]

I see that you are using the space separator already. There should be no reason to add a space to the beginning of the description. The separator provides the space.

 

[Matt Johnson]

Yes, Shawn is correct. I do not see why an extra space would be required at the beginning of the description.

 

[Adam]

Use second separator SEP2 set to space in export setup, and use this separator between code and description. I use this between attributes also.

Mikhail,
Most of our software is configured for five fields, Name, N, E, U, Description. Once the software separates the first four fields, all text after the fourth separator is considered part of the fifth field.

I do that Shawn, the problem happens when you do not want a space for linework strings or text like 1/2". But some we want the space. If I am using codes then I have to use description for multiple codes. I have my delimeter set to none so I can use the code and append a quick linework string with no space.

 

[Adam]

Carlson's field to finish is very powerful, I can create a finished surface of a 150 acre topo in less than 5 minutes, this would take day's doing it without field to finish. This is something most if not all Carlson users are not going to give up. Using descriptions only has been the most efficient way for me to handle the transition from Jfield into Carlson. This way I can enter the data exactly how it needs to be, spaces, no spaces, whatever you need.