FrontPage and Text File Databases

25. June 2005 Bob FrontPage Comments (0)

Summary

This article discusses how to use a SCHEMA.INI file to access information that is stored in various text file databases.

More Information

Start a blank SCHEMA.INI file
  1. Open a Web in FrontPage 2003 using HTTP
  2. Start a new text file
    1. Click File -> New
    2. Click "Text file" on the Task Pane
    3. Save the file as "_private/schema.ini"
  3. Close the text file
Add a database connection for text file databases
  1. Click Tools -> Site Settings
  2. Click the "Database" tab
  3. Click the "Add" button
  4. Name the connection "TEXTFILES"
  5. Choose "File or folder in current web site"
  6. Click the "Browse" button
    1. Double-click the "_private" folder
    2. Choose "Microsoft Text Driver (*.txt; &.csv)" as the file type
    3. Click "OK" to close the dialog
  7. Click "OK" to close the database connection dialog
  8. Click "OK" to close the site settings dialog
Using a Comma-Separated Value file
  1. If not already open, open the Web form earlier in FrontPage 2003 using HTTP
  2. Start a new page
  3. Save the page as "CSVTEST.htm" in the root of your web site
  4. Insert a form on the page:
    1. Click Insert -> Form -> Textbox
    2. Right-click the form and select "Form Field Properties"
    3. Name the field "Name"
    4. Click "OK" to close the text box properties dialog
    5. Right-click the form and select "Form Properties"
    6. Click the "Options" button
    7. Specify "_private/CSVTEST.csv" as the output path
    8. Choose "Text database usign comma as a separator"
    9. Make sure that the "Include field names" box is checked
    10. Click the "Save Fields" tab
    11. Check the boxes for "Remote computer name", "Browser type", and "Username"
    12. Specify a format for both the date and time
    13. Click "OK" to close the options dialog
    14. Click "OK" to close the form properties
  5. Save and close the page
  6. Preview the page in your browser and submit several data items
  7. Open the "_private/schema.ini" file from earlier
  8. Enter the following information:
    [CSVTEST.csv]
ColNameHeader=True
MaxScanRows=25
Format=CSVDelimited
CharacterSet=ANSI
  9. Save and close the "_private/schema.ini" file
  10. Start a new page
  11. Insert a database results region on the page:
    1. Click Insert -> Database -> Results
    2. Choose "TEXTFILES" for the connection and click "Next"
    3. Choose "CSVTEST.csv" for the record source and click "Next"
    4. Click "Next"
    5. Choose "Table - one record for row" and click "Next"
    6. Click "Finish"
  12. Save the page as "CSVTEST.asp" in the root of your web site
Using a Tab-Separated Value file
  1. If not already open, open the Web form earlier in FrontPage 2003 using HTTP
  2. Start a new page
  3. Save the page as "TABTEST.htm" in the root of your web site
  4. Insert a form on the page:
    1. Click Insert -> Form -> Textbox
    2. Right-click the form and select "Form Field Properties"
    3. Name the field "Name"
    4. Click "OK" to close the text box properties dialog
    5. Right-click the form and select "Form Properties"
    6. Click the "Options" button
    7. Specify "_private/TABTEST.txt" as the output path
    8. Choose "Text database usign tab as a separator"
    9. Make sure that the "Include field names" box is checked
    10. Click the "Save Fields" tab
    11. Check the boxes for "Remote computer name", "Browser type", and "Username"
    12. Specify a format for both the date and time
    13. Click "OK" to close the options dialog
    14. Click "OK" to close the form properties
  5. Save and close the page
  6. Preview the page in your browser and submit several data items
  7. Open the "_private/schema.ini" file from earlier
  8. Enter the following information: 
    [TABTEST.txt]
ColNameHeader=True
MaxScanRows=25
Format=TabDelimited
CharacterSet=ANSI
  9. Save and close the "_private/schema.ini" file
  10. Start a new page
  11. Insert a database results region on the page:
    1. Click Insert -> Database -> Results
    2. Choose "TEXTFILES" for the connection and click "Next"
    3. Choose "TABTEST.txt" for the record source and click "Next"
    4. Click "Next"
    5. Choose "Table - one record for row" and click "Next"
    6. Click "Finish"
  12. Save the page as "TABTEST.asp" in the root of your web site

References

The following articles discuss the SCHEMA.INI format and related concepts in detail; MSDN keeps rearranging their hyperlinks, so hopefully they are still live: