Question

How to use acess/excel writer more elegantly?

  • 6 November 2014
  • 5 replies
  • 2 views

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Dear FME community,

 

 

if I add an access writer, FME asks me for a file name, of course :). This name is then displayed in the Navigator window, e.g. "filename [MDB_ADO]". The feature type corresponds to the table name, like in an excel writer. If want to add another access database with different attributes, I always have to add another writer (not feature type!). In difference to for example the mapinfo writer where the feature type corresponds to the file name, in access/excel it only refers to the database/table name.

 

 

What I want to do is use the existing (one) writer and just add another feature type. This would have the advantage that if I change the directory, I would only have to change one path in one writer, not in every access writer.

 

 

Does anyone know who to handle this?

 

 

Kind regards

 

Thomas

5 replies

Userlevel 4
Badge +13
Hi,

 

Possibly the method used here:

 

http://fmepedia.safe.com/articles/How_To/How-to-Read-All-Feature-Classes-from-Multiple-ESRI-Geodatabases

 

can be applied.

 

Itay
Badge +3
Hi Thomas.

 

 

If u create a writer for acces, excell, autocad etc. U create a "dataset".

 

 

So all u have to do is create a single writer.

 

 

U will have a dataset with one table/autocadlayer/excelltab.

 

If u copy/paste this writer in the workspace and rename it..you will add another table/autocadlayer/excelltab to the existing dataset.

 

 

the "featuretypes" are the names of the instances of the writer in the workspace wich are therefore tabels,tabs, layers in a dataset or file.

 

The datasetname is "fme_basename"

 

 

When u for instance create a fanout attirubte and set writer to fanout, an excell would have as many tabs.

 

 

If u open the writer in the navigator pane, u see first the basename. At the end you see featuretypes. These are the names of the tables,tabs,layers in your Acces/Excell/autocad files.

 

 

thats all there is to it.
Badge +3
..i should spellcheck more...i know ;)
Userlevel 2
Badge +17
Hi,

 

 

Gio is right. Dataset and Feature Type are fundamental concepts of FME, but their physical forms are different according to formats.

 

For some formats, a folder is a dataset; a file (set) is equivalent to a feature type (e.g. Esri Shape, MapInfo Tab). For other formats, a file is a dataset; a layer, worksheet, or table etc. is equivalent to a feature type (e.g. AutoCAD DXF, Microsoft Excel, Access). and so on.

 

See also here.

 

FME Workbench Help > Datset Types (http://docs.safe.com/fme/html/FME_Workbench/Default.htm#dataset_types.htm)

 

 

# I've got used to your tricky spelling ;)

 

 

Takashi
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Hey guys, I found a solution!

 

 

After you have added the access writer, you can set  "Fanout Dataset" under "Advanced". With the option "Attribute to Fanout on" set to fme_basename, it creates a new access database file for each incoming feature type (i.e. mapinfo dataset) that enters. It doesn't just add another table/spreadsheet. Thats's exactly what I was looking for.

 

 

Kind regards

Thomas

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