Creating a dynamic set of variables automatically from a CSV

[automationexpert12345]

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone could offer any suggestions on how I might be able to accomplish the following:

I regularly work with large datasets in .csv form, and typically need to perform significant ETL (extract/transform/load) to the data in the file(s).

For example, if I have a date field in the CSV, I would want to use a combination of that field and the field name of the other 3-4 fields to create unique variables.

Example variables desired:

0501catA: (value: data from the catA field that corresponds to the 05/01 date)

0601catA: ...

0701catA: ...

0801catA: ...

0501catB: ...

0601catB: ...

0701catB: ...

0801catB: ...

...

I am very comfortable with AutoIt scripting - I'm just looking for logic suggestions (and perhaps code if you've done something like this) to automate this for hundreds (perhaps even thousand+ variables)

Limitations: I expect to generate hundreds of columns for the data and save that output to a much larger new .csv file. Please don't question why we do this, but know that the new .csv serves as a large input to a more complicated application that requires this type of input. The output must be copied directly to a new .csv and not to Excel / Access because of max column restraints.

Thanks so much for your time and assistance!

[heibel]

Hi,

Perhaps this get you going:

just did a quick copy...

--

If Not IsDeclared ($VIO_sty2) then; new var

Assign($VIO_sty2,$VIO_myvar1)

_ArrayAdd($VIO_VarList,$VIO_sty2); list of 'new vars in autoit

Else

Assign($VIO_sty2,Eval($VIO_sty2)); so.. leave as it is

EndIf

--

Basically, look at IsDeclared, Assign & Eval

Note the difference in $myvar and using Eval("myvar")

Make sure your vars are not already used somewhere else.

Hope it helps

Edited November 1, 2006 by heibel