What is wrong with my code? I'm trying to query information from a comma delimited file on a shared folder:

SET PCOMMA=ON
FILEDEF MYFILE DISK //HORSEISLAND/NETSHARE/MEDICAL/OOQ/SOLUTIONSWORLD/TEST/MYFILE.TXT
TABLE FILE MYFILE
PRINT *
END

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mark1,

Shouldn't your slashes be \ instead of /.

What happens, what error message or results ?

I get the FILE MYFILE CANNOT BE FOUND. But I can see it there with windows explorer.

Do you have a Master set up to read "MYFILE"?

Is this a file allocation error or a filre read error? What's your &FOCERRNUM?

I get this error:

0(FOC205) THE DESCRIPTION CANNOT BE FOUND FOR FILE NAMED:
No data description can be found for the file requested. Check the
Master File Descriptions allocated or available, or the spelling of
the file name. If you are in Screen Painter, type IGNore to
continue, or any other input to return to TED.


I thought you could read in a text file and query from it without creating a master file.

WebFOCUS requires a master for any file.

It is needed so WF knows what format the file is and therefore what module to call to read it.

Nope. Part of the "magic" of WebFOCUS is in the Master File Description. Any data read done through WebFOCUS will require a Master file description. You can create one "on the fly" in your fex (which there are many examples of in the forum) but it's recommended to create an MFD which can be re-used and you'll also need a FILEDEF in your code or a DATASET declaration in the MFD that points to the actual data file.

(No, SQL passthru doesn't require an MFD, but there is not SQL passthru for COM files.)

The interesting thing about SQL passthrough is that it uses the structure of the returning data to build a master (SQLOUT), which TABLE FILE needs.

OK, thanks! I appreciate the help.