Hi All, I''ve got a basic Rails app started. One wrinkle is that the user wants ideally to be able to browse the files system (a la Windows Explorer) to select a file and initiate the importation of data from the file. All files selected will be of a predetermined fixed format, e.g. CSV with Name, Address, etc. It seems to me that the browser is isolated from the file system, albeit Rails'' internals know how to get to it. Is there a way to implement the above-described functionality in a Rails app? Can YAML be used for such functionality? The only approach I see right now is a Ruby database-updater using perhaps Active Record with ar-extensions or Active Scaffold. Any guidance would be most appreciated. Best wishes, Richard --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk+unsubscribe-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
Hi All, I''ve thought more about this and think I know how to proceed with a Rails-integrated approach. Thanks anyway if you''ve looked at the original post. Best wishes, Richard On Oct 23, 10:23 pm, RichardOnRails <RichardDummyMailbox58...-gP6xRNRnnqSxhq/XJNNIW0EOCMrvLtNR@public.gmane.org> wrote:> Hi All, > > I''ve got a basic Rails app started. One wrinkle is that the user > wants ideally to be able to browse the files system (a la Windows > Explorer) to select a file and initiate the importation of data from > the file. > > All files selected will be of a predetermined fixed format, e.g. CSV > with Name, Address, etc. > > It seems to me that the browser is isolated from the file system, > albeit Rails'' internals know how to get to it. Is there a way to > implement the above-described functionality in a Rails app? Can YAML > be used for such functionality? > > The only approach I see right now is a Ruby database-updater using > perhaps Active Record with ar-extensions or Active Scaffold. > > Any guidance would be most appreciated. > > Best wishes, > Richard--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
Thanks, Craig. That search suggestion does help. Best wishes, Richard On Oct 24, 12:15 am, "Craig Demyanovich" <cdemyanov...-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> wrote:> A Google search for > > rails import csv > > returns several promising results. > > Regards, > Craig--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
Take a look at attachment_fu. On Oct 23, 4:23 pm, RichardOnRails <RichardDummyMailbox58...-gP6xRNRnnqSxhq/XJNNIW0EOCMrvLtNR@public.gmane.org> wrote:> Hi All, > > I''ve got a basic Rails app started. One wrinkle is that the user > wants ideally to be able to browse the files system (a la Windows > Explorer) to select a file and initiate the importation of data from > the file. > > All files selected will be of a predetermined fixed format, e.g. CSV > with Name, Address, etc. > > It seems to me that the browser is isolated from the file system, > albeit Rails'' internals know how to get to it. Is there a way to > implement the above-described functionality in a Rails app? Can YAML > be used for such functionality? > > The only approach I see right now is a Ruby database-updater using > perhaps Active Record with ar-extensions or Active Scaffold. > > Any guidance would be most appreciated. > > Best wishes, > Richard--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
Hi Rick, I''ve been busy, so I haven''t checked for responses to my posts for a week or so. Sorry for the delay in this response. Thanks for your response. I just ordered Advanced Rails Recipes and looked at the attachment_fu.rb from the book. I''m too weak in Rails to see how that''s useful for my project. I think I''ve concocted a solution to my main concern: how to access a CVS file from the file-system from within a Rails app. I now believe I can: 1. get the filenames housed in a specific directory from within a controller using normal Ruby programming. 2. display those filenames as a list in a view and allow the user to select any one of then 3. open the selected file and read its records, one by one 4. extract the fields from each cvs-formatted record and update the database with the contents of those fields. Does that sound sensible to you? Best wishes, Richard On Oct 27, 12:50 pm, Rick <Richard.T.Ll...-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> wrote:> Take a look at attachment_fu. > > On Oct 23, 4:23 pm, RichardOnRails > > <RichardDummyMailbox58...-gP6xRNRnnqSxhq/XJNNIW0EOCMrvLtNR@public.gmane.org> wrote: > > Hi All, > > > I''ve got a basic Rails app started. One wrinkle is that the user > > wants ideally to be able to browse the files system (a la Windows > > Explorer) to select a file and initiate the importation of data from > > the file. > > > All files selected will be of a predetermined fixed format, e.g. CSV > > with Name, Address, etc. > > > It seems to me that the browser is isolated from the file system, > > albeit Rails'' internals know how to get to it. Is there a way to > > implement the above-described functionality in a Rails app? Can YAML > > be used for such functionality? > > > The only approach I see right now is a Ruby database-updater using > > perhaps Active Record with ar-extensions or Active Scaffold. > > > Any guidance would be most appreciated. > > > Best wishes, > > Richard--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
Hey Richard,
Sorry it''s been so long, I seem to have dropped this thread.
1) My thought about attachment_fu is that it allows you to pull files
that are local to your "rails client" machine and bring them into the
rails application space. One way it''s used is to enable rails users
to post their own images onto a site for sharing with the community.
There is a browser included that works much like the usual file
browser to aid with locating / selecting file for inclusion.
I''m not sure where your csv files live right now but if
they''re not
somewhere below RAILS_ROOT + "public" then you''ll need to
figure out
how to get them there. Attachment_fu can help here if the files are
user generated - field data and the like - that the user will upload
into the system.
2) The next thing is moving the data into your Model(s). I''m not sure
how comfortable you are with the quality of the data but I guarantee
that, no matter what approach you take, you''ll need to constantly work
on data validation.
You''ll probably do best if you start with one model for each file
type. That way you can use the model.rb file to validate, validate,
validate,... the data on it''s way to the database.
3) Of course if it''s your own data and you know it''s always
complete
and correct, you can take the migration file approach. It''s a little
more raw than what is generally considered socially acceptable in the
RoR community. The real drawback is then specific database methods
leak in past the abstraction boundary. Notice the code for postgresql
differs from that for mysql - and we haven''t even looked at sqlite3 or
db2 or ...:-P
class CreateStateAbbrevs < ActiveRecord::Migration
def self.up
create_table :state_abbrevs do |t|
t.string :name
t.string :abbrev
end
csv_file = "#{RAILS_ROOT}/db/migrate/abbr_state.csv"
fields = ''(name, abbrev)''
# PostgreSQL load from file...
execute "COPY state_abbrevs #{fields} FROM
''#{csv_file}'' WITH CSV"
# MySQL load from file...
# execute "LOAD DATA INFILE ''#{csv_file}'' INTO TABLE
state_abbrevs
FIELDS " +
# "TERMINATED BY '','' OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY
\"\"\"\" " +
# "LINES TERMINATED BY ''\n'' " + fields
end
def self.down
drop_table :state_abbrevs
end
end
So many buttons and so little time,
Rick
On Nov 13, 5:11 am, RichardOnRails
<RichardDummyMailbox58...-FtJgd9dCuO3JTKoYRCtP1UEOCMrvLtNR@public.gmane.org>
wrote:> HiRick,
>
> I''ve been busy, so I haven''t checked for responses to my
posts for a
> week or so. Sorry for the delay in this response.
>
> Thanks for your response. I just ordered Advanced Rails Recipes and
> looked at the attachment_fu.rb from the book. I''m too weak in
Rails
> to see how that''s useful for my project.
>
> I think I''ve concocted a solution to my main concern: how to
access a
> CVS file from the file-system from within a Rails app. I now believe
> I can:
> 1. get the filenames housed in a specific directory from within a
> controller using normal Ruby programming.
> 2. display those filenames as a list in a view and allow the user to
> select any one of then
> 3. open the selected file and read its records, one by one
> 4. extract the fields from each cvs-formatted record and update the
> database with the contents of those fields.
>
> Does that sound sensible to you?
>
> Best wishes,
> Richard
>
> On Oct 27,
12:50 pm,Rick<Richard.T.Ll...-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org>
wrote:
>
> > Take a look at attachment_fu.
>
> > On Oct 23, 4:23 pm, RichardOnRails
>
> >
<RichardDummyMailbox58...-gP6xRNRnnqSxhq/XJNNIW0EOCMrvLtNR@public.gmane.org>
wrote:
> > > Hi All,
>
> > > I''ve got a basic Rails app started. One wrinkle is that
the user
> > > wants ideally to be able to browse the files system (a la Windows
> > > Explorer) to select a file and initiate the importation of data
from
> > > the file.
>
> > > All files selected will be of a predetermined fixed format, e.g.
CSV
> > > with Name, Address, etc.
>
> > > It seems to me that the browser is isolated from the file system,
> > > albeit Rails'' internals know how to get to it. Is there
a way to
> > > implement the above-described functionality in a Rails app? Can
YAML
> > > be used for such functionality?
>
> > > The only approach I see right now is a Ruby database-updater
using
> > > perhaps Active Record with ar-extensions or Active Scaffold.
>
> > > Any guidance would be most appreciated.
>
> > > Best wishes,
> > > Richard
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