If I had Excel.  Some of the files would have to be exported anyway,
because they were for 10 year old, or older files.  A few are over 25
years old, and in a different disk format for a 8 bit CPU.

   All I do is add a blank column on the right of the database, and
export it wit tab delimiters.

    A quick search & replace to convert the double tabs to
</td></tr><tr><td>

   A second search and replace converts the single tabs to </td><td>

   Then you cut <tr><td> from the end of the bottom line and paste it to
the start of the first line.  If the exported file is clean, it takes
seconds to convert in Wordpad.  If there are empty cells, you have to
remove the extra </tr><tr> but I avoid that problem by using a dash in
any blank cell before it is exported.  A third search & replace from
<td>-</td> to <td> </td> cleans that up, if you don't want to see the
dashes.

    I normally use a dash to show the cell is supposed to be empty, and
it doesn't cause problems with sorts.  My first database was program was
written to run on a Commodore 64, and used to track the inventory for my
shop.  Because of the limited RAM (38 kB), I had to separate it into a
couple categories.  That program could load another that printed a
drawer liner for the old metal framed Akro Mills parts cabinets.  You
just saved the changes and clicked "Need Drawer Liner?".  It also
printed labels for boxes by selecting "Need Labels?".  It was inspired
by another program that was a pain in the ASCII to use.  Every task
required a different program, and was written to drive only one
COmmodore printer. It padded the lines to 80 columns, and didn't use any
carriage returns or line feeds, so other printers tried to print the
entire database onto a single line.  It had no search feature, so you
had to scroll through all the parts.  Then you had the item number.
Next, you had to load the edit module and enter the item number, and so
on.  I deleted over 80% of the original code and combined similar
routines.  By the time I finished, the entire program was smaller than
the main module of the original. It ran about 20 times faster, and
allowed you to use any function at any time.  I used that program for
almost 15 years, before I moved on to a PC.

--
http://improve-usenet.org/index.html

aioe.org, Goggle Groups, and Web TV users must request to be white
listed, or I will not see your messages.

If you have broadband, your ISP may have a NNTP news server included in
your account: http://www.usenettools.net/ISP.htm

There are two kinds of people on this earth:
The crazy, and the insane.
The first sign of insanity is denying that you're crazy.