How do I export an Access database in CSV format? - ms-access

Question

I have an Access database which I would like to export to a text file. I have a schema defined within Access, and currently use a macro to export it. I would like to use VBScript to always append the result of a query to the same file. If it is not possible to use my defined schema, I only need the fields to be comma separated and enclosed by the ", and the text file must be in UTF-8 format.
I found the following code snippet, but I am unsure how to adopt it for my needs.
db = "C:\Docs\LTD.mdb"
TextExportFile = "C:\Docs\Exp.txt"
Set cn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
Set rs = CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
cn.Open _
"Provider = Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0; " & _
"Data Source =" & db
strSQL = "SELECT * FROM tblMembers"
rs.Open strSQL, cn, 3, 3
Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set f = fs.CreateTextFile(TextExportFile, True)
a = rs.GetString
f.WriteLine a
f.Close

Answer 1

DIRECTION (2)
This is some VBA, run from the Access database:
Sub InsertRecs()
Set db = CurrentDb
'DSN=Suitable system DSN for MySQL
'Then, depending on your set up, you can incude:
'Database=DBName;
'Trusted_Connection=Yes;
'NameOfMySQLTable
strSQL = "INSERT INTO [ODBC;DSN=baywotch;].tblAuction Select * FROM tblAuction;"
db.Execute strSQL, dbFailOnError
End Sub
This is the same thing, but in VBScript, using DAO:
Dim objEngine
Dim objWS
Dim objDB
Dim db: db = "C:\Docs\baywotch.db5"
Set objEngine = wscript.CreateObject("DAO.DBEngine.36")
Set objDB = objEngine.OpenDatabase(db)
objDB.Execute "INSERT INTO [ODBC;DSN=baywotch].[tblAuction] SELECT * FROM tblAuction;"
DIRECTION (1)
I suggest a completely different direction, and that is to let MySQL do the work:
MySQL Migration Toolkit
I tested this against your database, and it appears to import correctly, only takes a few minutes, and will generate all sorts of reusable scripts and so on.
If you are having problems with the set-up of MySQL, you may wish to read:
9.1.4. Connection Character Sets and Collations
DiRECTION (0)
REWRITE (2)
'========================================================================'
'
' FROM: AnthonyWJones, see post '
'
'========================================================================'
Dim db: db = "C:\Docs\baywotch.db5"
Dim exportDir: exportDir = "C:\Docs\" '" SO prettify does not do VB well
Dim exportFile: exportFile=NewFileName(exportDir)
Dim cn: Set cn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
cn.Open _
"Provider = Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0; " & _
"Data Source =" & db
cn.Execute "SELECT * INTO [text;HDR=Yes;Database=" & exportDir & _
";CharacterSet=65001]." & exportFile & " FROM tblAuction"
'Export file
'========================================================================'
'Support functions
Function NewFileName(ExportPath)
Dim fs
Dim NewFileTemp
Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
NewFileTemp = "CSV" & Year(Date) _
& Right("00" & Month(Date),2) & Right("00" & Day(Date) ,2) & ".csv"
a = fs.FileExists(ExportPath & NewFileTemp)
i = 1
Do While a
NewFileTemp = "CSV" & Year(Date) _
& Right("00" & Month(Date),2) & Right("00" & Day(Date) ,2) & "_" & i & ".csv"
a = fs.FileExists(ExportPath & NewFileTemp)
i = i + 1
If i > 9 Then
'Nine seems enough times per day to be
'exporting a table
a = True
MsgBox "Too many attempts"
WScript.Quit
End If
Loop
NewFileName = NewFileTemp
End Function

Answer 2

Perhaps the easiest way is to use [text...].filename approach:-
Dim db: db = "C:\Docs\LTD.mdb"
Dim exportDir: exportDir = "C:\Docs\" '" SO prettify does not do VB well
Dim exportFile: exportFile = "Exp.txt"
Dim cn: Set cn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
cn.Open _
"Provider = Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0; " & _
"Data Source =" & db
cn.Execute "SELECT * INTO [text;HDR=Yes;Database=" & exportDir & _
";CharacterSet=65001]." & exportFile & " FROM tblMembers"
FileSystemObject won't help you since it doesn't do UTF-8. UTF-8 is acheived by specifying CharacterSet=65001 (65001 is the UTF-8 codepage). Note the file generated does not contain a UTF-8 BOM but the schema.ini file created will note that the CharacterSet is UTF-8.
Note this doesn't achieve your append requirements are you sure that makes sense anyway, won't you end up with lots of duplicates?
Edit:
The above is adjusted to include the UTF-8 requirement. You can simply append something like the date to create multiple snapshot files for the table.

Answer 3

I've numbered the lines for reference.
1. db = "C:\Docs\LTD.mdb"
2. TextExportFile = "C:\Docs\Exp.txt"
3. strSQL = "SELECT * FROM tblMembers"
4. Set f = fs.CreateTextFile(TextExportFile, True)
Line 1 - is the current access database file you are working with. this case it's LTD.mdb
Line 2 - is the name of the file that you are going to write/append. It's Exp.txt
Line 3 - is the sql statement that will be used to collect the data.
Line 4 - is the command to open the file to write to.
Change line 2 to the name of file you want.
Change line 3 to the table you want to use. Select * will use all the columns if you want only a couple identify them by name. select col1, col2 ... from mytable. You will want to look into using where clauses also.
Change line 4 from CreateTextFile to OpenTextFile and use ForAppending to append.
MSDN VBA
I'm drawing a blank on formatting the line. One of the ways I use is modify the select statement to include commas. example select col1 & "," & col2 from mytable.
For UTF-8 (I don't have a working example) Try:
utf = new String(a, 0, a.length, UTF-8);
f.WriteLine utf;
UTF-8 VBA

Answer 4

Const adOpenStatic = 3
Const adLockOptimistic = 3
Const adClipString = 2
Const ForWriting = 2
Const ForAppending = 8
Const strDB = "C:\Docs\LTD.mdb"
Const strCSV = "C:\Docs\Exp.csv"
Set objAccessConnection = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
objAccessConnection.Open "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Persist Security Info=False;Data Source=" & strDB
Set objAccessRecordset = CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
strAccessQuery = "SELECT * FROM tblMembers"
objAccessRecordset.Open strAccessQuery, objAccessConnection, adOpenStatic, adLockOptimistic
Set objCSV = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject").OpenTextFile(strCSV, ForAppending, True)
objCSV.Write objAccessRecordset.GetString(adClipString,,",",CRLF)
objCSV.Close
Set objCSV = Nothing
objAccessRecordset.Close
Set objAccessRecordset = Nothing
objAccessConnection.Close
Set objAccessConnection = Nothing