Access 2002 SP3 should allow renaming fields in imported CSV files

  • Thread starter Mike in Minnesota
  • Start date
M

Mike in Minnesota

Usually, Access (2002 and previous versions) has provided during the import
of CSV files such as
"one","two","three"
"un","deux","trois"
"jeden","dva","tri"
an easy way in the default panes for the user to rename the fields (after
first verifying the separator and qualifier) from the default "field1,"
"field2," and "field3" to a desired header or field name such as "English,"
"French," and "Czech."

In Access 2002 out of the box (as in build 10.2627.2625) this works, as it
did in 2000 and 97. In Access 2002 *SP3* this is broken: in the 4th "import
text wizard" pane, the one that says "You can specify information about each
of the fields you are importing. Select fields in the area below. You can
then modify field information in the 'Field Options' area") one can only
rename field1, never field2 or field3, etc.

There are workardounds, of course. Using the "Advanced" button allows a
rename in the "[name] import specification" pane. That's one workaround. Or
one can use a text editor first to put in a header row, *before* doing the
import. That's a second workaround. So if one knows the bug exists, one can
get where one wants to by other means. But one should be able to do it in
the 4th "import text wizard" pane directly: one's been able to do so in all
past versions, only not in SP3; the pane itself says one should be able to do
it there; and doing it there allows a view of sample data not available in
the "import specification" pane reached by the "Advanced" button. I'd report
it as a bug introduced by SP3, not as a suggestion for a feature, if there
were any way to do so. I don't need support, as I have ample workarounds.
But other users, less accustomed to "there's more than one way," may consider
it a problem.


----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...865e6&dg=microsoft.public.access.externaldata
 
M

Mike in Minnesota

Please see Mr. Snell's helpful answer in the "CSV Import" thread. The KB
articles he cites are right on point, although they refer only to Excel and
text files generally, not specifically to comma-delimited ones under those
express terms. I wrote the entry below via a different interface, not the
Communities newsgroup view, before having seen Mr. Snell's answer. So this
suggestion (sent as such as there appeared no way to file a bug, and I didn't
need tech support, because I knew workarounds) can be disregarded. Mea culpa.
 

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