TradeWorks Software for retail barter exchanges and companies

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ASCII to Spreadsheets ...
Instructions for Interfacing with Lotus and Excell using the ASCII Menu

Even though TradeWorks features dozens of ways to build your own reports, there may be times when you want to pull up a quick list and you’re not seeing a report that includes just what you want. Use the ASCII Menu to do what you need. While this looks like a lot, I’ve described every click and double click. After a couple of times it took me less than 60 seconds to create a file in TradeWorks, then import it into Excel. Even less for Lotus. You can’t hurt anything, so have fun!

ASCII is a format that nearly all programs can read. It’s not a language - just a standardized way that every program can read data from other sources. So from the ASCII Menu in TradeWorks you’ll select just the information you need, tell the computer to list it in ASCII, then pull it into your favorite spreadsheet. I’ve included basic import instructions for Lotus and Excel. Use whichever program is most familiar to you. These instruction don’t pretend to teach you how to use the spreadsheet programs after you’ve imported the TradeWorks file.

Step #1: Create Your Data File in TradeWorks

General instruction: if you’re typing/keying data into a field, use the ‘+’ key on the far right of your keyboard. Fields are usually blue. If you’re typing where there’s no field, use the ‘Enter’ key (either one).

From the Main Menu: select Menu 16 then Menu 14. The first 4 menu items will provide slightly different information for you. See the ASCII to Directory instructions if you’re creating a Directory using item #4. Only selection #1 includes financial information.
After you choose item #1, #2 or #3, enter the Status codes of clients to include in your spreadsheet. Press Enter.
Now select the information you’d like in your spreadsheet from the choice of up to 32 different items. Don’t put an ‘x’ in the blue fields - use numbers. For example, if I want a list of client email addresses and web sites, I’d put 01 next to Client Number, 02 next to Business Name, 03 next to E-mail Address and 04 next to Web Site. Press F5. In just a few short seconds the computer will finish (slightly longer if you’re doing a Directory).
As the computer is processing, look at the screen. In parentheses you’ll see the name of the file the program is creating. Write it down. For option #1, Financial Data, the file name is TnnnnFIN.txt. For option #2, Admin. Data, the file name is TnnnnADM.txt. for option #3, Mailing Data, the file name is TnnnnMAL.txt. The ‘nnnn’ is a series of 4 numbers. For example, the Admin Data for TSI file name is: T2277adm.txt

You have now created the file and it’s ready to be imported into your favorite spreadsheet.

ASCII to Excel

Step #2a: Import to Excel

(Remember, you don’t use the ‘+’ key when typing data into boxes and windows. Press Tab or Enter, or click the appropriate box.)

Open Excel
Upper left corner, click File, Open.
Change the ‘Look In:’ box to your network drive (usually drive F).
Double click the RPG folder, then double click the ASCII folder.
Change ‘Files of Type:’ to ‘Text files.’
There should be one or more files from which to choose. Select the file you created and the file name you wrote down. In my example, I’d single click on T2277adm.txt., then single click on Open.
‘Choose the file type that best describes your data:’ Delimited (single click). Single click Next.
‘Delimiters:’ select Comma (deselect TAB if it has a checkmark next to it). Then single click Next.
‘Column format:’ General. Single click Finish.

After a couple of practice runs, this took me less than 60 seconds, from start to finish! Now you can sort and print this information any way you desire.

ASCII to Lotus123

Step #2b: Or if you prefer, Import to Lotus 123

(Remember, you don’t use the ‘+’ key when typing data into boxes and windows. Press Tab or Enter, or click the appropriate box.)

Open Lotus.
Upper left corner, click File, Open.
Double click the network drive (usually your F drive).
Double click the RPG folder, then double click the ASCII folder.
Change ‘File type:’ to Text.
Single click on your file to highlight it. Remember your file name looks something like T2277adm.txt, but the numbers will be different. (See above instructions that begin ‘From TradeWorks’ for an explanation of file names.)
Single click ‘Combine.’
Change ‘Text format’ to ‘Formatted text’ (single click).
Single click ‘Okay.’

That’s it … you’re done! After a couple of practice runs, this took me less than 50 seconds. Now you can sort and print this information any way you desire.