How does one import XML files with repeating fields into a FileMaker database?

Question

I'm using FileMaker Pro 9 and I want to take a database with repeating records (e.g. one field is "Lines" and it can have up to 9 strings) and import data into it from an XML file.

Right now, with the following XML file, I only get the first entry imported ("Room"):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<FMPXMLRESULT xmlns="http://www.filemaker.com/fmpxmlresult">
    <ERRORCODE>0</ERRORCODE>
    <PRODUCT NAME="" VERSION="" BUILD=""/>
    <DATABASE NAME="New Invoice" RECORDS="1" DATEFORMAT="M/d/yyyy" TIMEFORMAT="" LAYOUT="hh/mm/a"/>
    <METADATA>
        <FIELD NAME="Description Index" TYPE="TEXT" EMPTYOK="NO" MAXREPEAT="9"/>
    </METADATA>
    <RESULTSET FOUND="1">
        <ROW RECORDID="" MODID="">
            <COL>
                <DATA>Room</DATA>
                <DATA>Equipment</DATA>
                <DATA>Labor</DATA>
            </COL>
         </ROW>
    </RESULTSET>
</FMPXMLRESULT>

How can I get the rest of the entries ("Equipment" and "Labor") imported?

Answer 1

Actual answer is that FileMaker doesn't support importing repeating fields in XML.

Answer 2

You can import and export repeating fields (arrays) in Filemaker, but not from an XML format.

I just figured it out. You can export and import repeating fields from Filemaker as long as you use their merge (.mer) format, or comma separated values (CSV), or another plain text delimited format. Otherwise, it will only give you the first of the repetitions in the field. XML isn't an option for this. For this example, I'll use a csv file.

First, in order to import repeating fields correctly, you have to understand a few things...

1. When Filemaker exports or imports repeating field data, it uses a special hidden character to separate the repeating items. The character is ASCII-29, but you can't just type that in like you can other characters. On a Mac or PC, the key is ctr+] (hold down control and the right square bracket).

2. This is best handled in a text editor that can show invisible characters, such as Coda or Text Wrangler. In Coda, I turned on "Show Invisible Characters" because unless you are in a text editor with that turned on, you won't see anything happen, as it inserts the character behind the text and there aren't any spaces between the repeating items.

3. In a CSV, the fields are contained in quotes and separated by a comma. Records are separated by a carriage return (the enter or return key). Field headers are separated by a comma, but are not contained in quotes.

Here is an example in CSV format. I'll designate the hidden character with the number 29 in brackets ([29]):

Box Number,Contents

"1","apples[29]oranges[29]bananas"

"2","cod[29]tuna fish[29]salmon[29]trout"

"3","My Little Pony[29]He-Man"

Box 1 had apples, oranges and bananas.

Box 2 had cod, tuna fish, salmon and trout.

Box 3 had My Little Pony and He-Man.

And there you have it. Filemaker recognizes it as repeating fields. It would be worth exporting some repeating fields from Filemaker first and taking a look at the file from within a text editor (with hidden characters showing), just to get a visual of what you will be trying to accomplish.

Answer 3

You can't. But you can get around it:

As far as I can tell, FileMaker seems to use the ASCII-29 character internally to split the data that is in repeating fields. You have a couple of options.

1. If you can work out the encoding issues, just have the one element and split Room, Equipment and Labor up with the ASCII-29 character in between.

2. Add your own separator and write a script/custom function that takes the imported data and pushed it into the required repeated field. (this script will look icky)

3. DON'T USE REPEATING FIELDS

Personally I stay as far away from Repeating Fields as possible.

If it is at all possible, use a new related table for the repeating data. You can use a portal or similar to display it if you so desire, or you can even pull it into a calculated field in the main table if it has to be there. Something like this:

INVOICE
-------
ID
Invoice Date

LINES
-------
ID
fk_InvoiceID
Item

They can then be related INVOICE::ID --< LINES::fk_InvoiceID and you can show all the items in a portal.

You can also have a calculated field that looks something like this in the Invoice table:

cLines = List(LINES::Item)

Which will give you something like:

Room
Equipment
Labor

In that one field.

Answer 4

The previous answers are incorrect. You can, in fact, import delimited value lists from XML files to FileMaker tables. However, in fairness, FileMaker cannot do it intrinsically using it's native XML Import. In order to do this one must create an XSL Transform file to be used in conjunction with the XML file when importing. Within the data tag in the Transform file use an structure to iterate through and concatenate the values in the XML file.