File System - Dataset to CSV

Declaration

<AMFILESYSTEM ACTIVITY="dataset_to_csv" DESTINATION="text" RESULTDATASET="text" DELIMITER="text (options)" OVERWRITE="YES/NO" WRAPCELLS="YES/NO" />

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Description

Retrieves data currently populated in a dataset and outputs the data onto a comma-separated values (CSV) file.

Practical Usage

Used to automate the movement of data between programs that natively operate on incompatible (often proprietary) formats. For example, a user may need to transfer data previously populated onto a dataset (with the use of the CSV to dataset activity), and output the data onto a new CSV file.

Parameters

General

Property Type Required Default Markup Description
Dataset Text Yes (Empty) RESULTDATASET="myDataset" The name of the dataset from which to extract data.
Destination Text Yes (Empty) DESTINATION="c:\temp\file.csv" The path and file name of the CSV file in which to output the data. This can be a fully qualified path and file name (preferred) or a single file (requires use of the File System - Change folder activity). Wildcard characters (for example, * or ?) may be used to specify all files matching a certain mask. Multiple files and/or file masks can be specified by separating each entry with a pipe character (|) (for example, c:\temp\*.txt|c:\backup\*.bak). See File Masks & Wildcards for more details.
Overwrite if file already exists Yes/No No No OVERWRITE="YES" If selected, matching destination files are overwritten. If disabled (default), matching files are not overwritten, however, an error occurs when a matching file exists.

Advanced

Property Type Required Default Markup Description
Include column names Yes/No No Yes INCLUDECOLUMNNAMES="NO" If selected, Automate sets the first line of the CSV file as column headers. If disabled, column headers are ignored.
Quote cells Yes/No No No WRAPCELLS="YES" If selected, each cell value within the dataset is enclosed in double quotes in the CSV file (for example, "apple"). If disabled, double quotes are omitted.
Delimiter Text (options) Yes Comma
  • DELIMITER="semi_colon"
  • DELIMITER="tabulation"
  • DELIMITER="space"
 Specifies the delimiter to use to separate the cell values in the CSV file. The options are:

  • Comma (default) - Separates each cell value using a comma.

  • Semicolon - Separates each cell value using a semicolon.

  • Tab - Separates each cell value using a tab character.

  • Space - Separates each cell value using a single space.

  • Custom - Separates each cell value using one or more characters of choice (for example, |).

Custom delimiter text Text No (Empty) DELIMITER="|" The custom characters used to separate each cell value in the CSV file. This parameter becomes active if Delimiter is set to Custom.

Description

Error Causes

On Error

Example

NOTE:
  • The sample AML code below can be copied and pasted directly into the Steps Panel of the Task Builder.
  • Parameters containing user credentials, files, file paths, and/or other information specific to the task must be customized before the sample code can run successfully.

Description

This sample task retrieves folder information and populates a dataset with results. The dataset is then written to a CSV file.

Copy 
<AMFILESYSTEM ACTIVITY="get" MODE="folder" SOURCE="C:\temp" RESULTDATASET="theFolderInfo" FILEPROPERTY="fullname" />
<AMFILESYSTEM ACTIVITY="dataset_to_csv" DESTINATION="c:\temp3\theFolderInfo.csv" RESULTDATASET="theFolderInfo" OVERWRITE="YES" />