TxtConverter
TxtConverter
TxtConverter is a Windows-32bits tool to convert text files.
It's main purpose is to extract datas from text files organised in columns, in order to write
all or part of them, possibly changing their tidiness.
It is able to change date formats too.
Most concerned files are stocks datas ones, that can be downloaded to feed a technical/
graphical analysis software or a portfolio management one.
TxtConverter is freeware. It has been writen in Delphi (object Pascal), using Borland's
Delphi 6 PE.
Features :
Conversion can be about one or more of the following actions :
» Modifying columns tidiness,
» Column splitter change,
» Numerical splitter change,
» Force upper/lower case,
» Add or delette columns,
» Reject (n) first lines of infile,
» Add (n) lines headers in output file,
» Convert dates (cf. Limitation)
» Add prefix or suffixes (cf. Limitation),
» Possibly control the kind of output datas,
» Preview first lines of input and output datas (cf. Limitation),
» Possibility to define as many new file format definitions as you need to,
» As many as 32.768 colums in each definition...,
» Rejected lines are displayed while conversion is running.
Main screen
File formats definition :
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Downloads :
Programme and help : TxtConv1-1.zip (467ko)
In order to read this file, you'll need a zipped file reader, like Winzip or Winrar.
Help is a ".chm" file. To reed it, Internet Explorer 4.x or above must be installed on your
computer (even if it is not your default web browser).
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Specifications & licence :
TxtConverter has been tested and works fine on Windows 32 bits following operating systems : 98 - 98SE - 2000 - XP;
TxtConverter is a freeware. Feel free to use and distribute it as much as you want, provided you respect the licence agreement.
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Definitions (files structure ("formats"), dates, aso.) :
TxtConv works on text files (whatever be their extention). Those files have to be organised
in lines, in which datas are ordinary organised in colums whith a particular character beeing
the column splitter.
Here is an example of such a file :
12007,19950301,82.25,83.25,82.03,83.25,135465
12016,19950301,42.92,43.19,42.13,42.13,573
12017,19950301,17.86,18.25,17.84,18.19,644796
12027,19950301,43.71,44.39,43.22,43.97,324691
12028,19950301,36.59,37.20,36.01,36.59,21450
12032,19950301,15.91,16.28,15.91,16.21,1085370
12035,19950301,40.78,40.86,40.40,40.70,9700
12040,19950301,17.07,17.20,16.95,17.14,206750
TxtConv purpose is to read these lines , and convert them into a new file, according to the
format definition you gave for both input and wanted result.
In TxtConv, a file format is defined by :
» A name, that has to be 'single',
» General properties : Columns splitter, decimal splitter, a colum number, and so on.
» Colum particular properties : Each column has properties, like its name, its kind( numerical,
date, etc.).
As for formats, the names of the columns are an essential property : They will be used
by the programm to link input datas and output datas, column by column.
So, in order for datas of one column of the input to be written at the good place in the ouptu
file, both input and output colums have to hace the same name in the two definitions.
The user can add as many formats definitions ad he need to.
Actually known definitions are :
» ASCII Standard : "Metastock-3" "Trading Solutions" "Autres" depending on sources.
» Metastock 1 ;
» ASCII1 ;
» Boursitel ;
» "Divers" : Ticker and name, without date ;
» EBP : Dates format is YYYYMMDD, file embedds an header line ;
» Stockwizz ;
» Yahoo_quotes_Paris : ".PA" suffix after each ticker)
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Limits :
» Warning : The main purpose of TxtConv is to copy a source file, changing the columns order and possibly working on dates. Other functions are incidentall and little devlopped.
» Prefix/suffix : It is possible to add a prefix OR a suffix to dats from one (or more) columns, but not both in a turn. In order to add datas before and after the current datas of a cilumn, you'll have to ptocced in two steps.
» TxtConv only works whith one date description for the entry and one for the output during a conversion. If you need to convert several dates format in one file, you'll need to make as many steps as there are different dates in a file.
» Known dates formats are :
(MailTo:Qnno_AT_Noos.fr)
» TxtConverter
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More over, the program gives you some options :
» Keeps most recent used parameters, like the last input and output directory, last used file
format definitions, a.s.o.
» Possibility to automatically rename or delette input files (after conversion...),
» Build-in naming of the output file, based on the name of the input (optionnal),
» Integration in Windows' file Explorer : You can launch the conversion, in the shadow mode,
whith a single click on the name of the file(s) to convert,
» Polyglot : Written in french, an english version is available, and any other language can be
added (provided somebody writes it),
» "Easyware" : TxtConv doesn't modify the registry itself. All the files it needs (parameters,
formats definitions, log, etc.) are stored whithin it's installation directory.
» etc.
YY/MM/DD YY/DD/MM MM/DD/YY YYMMDD DD/MM/YY
YYYY/MM/DD YYYY/DD/MM MM/DD/YYYY YYYYMMDD DD/MM/YYYY
( Y=Year, M=Month, D=Day.)
(Note : "/" represents ANY splitter. You'll have to define the exact charactere too.
Any character can be a valid date splitter, except : pipe("|"), zero, and those used as
column or decimal splitters.
(Conversions between short and long dates formats are possible and should work whith no
problem.)
» Post-conversion data preview is actually only an incidentall service. It gives you the
possibility to see that the input file format definition correspoinds to the file you're about to
convert, and that the output will have datas.
But preview doesn't handle special actions, like data's kind controlling, preffix add, and so
on. So such actions won't be seen in the output's preview grid.
)
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