I need specific instructions on how to to a csv file from my medical manager unix system w/my patients demographics so I can put on new IMedica windows XP professional system.
Maryrmoa --
Myself and many others would probably be happy to assist in some unix scripting, however you really did not provide much to work with. What program is storing the datafiles, what kind of database, what is the structure/layout of the files?
Often, systems allow for export of data to csv or Excel or flat-file.
What? phone 309-672-3158 ask for Mary. Not sure what you're asking for.
Is there a menu item to export a csv or excel format file from your unix system?
Use that to create your CSV file. The new system should have some way for you to identify how the csv file is laid out. You know:
fld1: last name
fld2: first name
fld3: gender
etc.
my medical manager program is from 1987 w/only 1 update. No export/import options, no windows programs, no internet, its just a dummy terminal.
In order to think about anything, would need to know if you can get to a prompt like $ or > or some other character. That would be considered the system. From that, we could begin to learn about the data and how it is stored.
Since you are on this forum, is there something you know that made you believe the data is somehow connected to unix?
yes, can get to > & #. My boss installed the unix system on this computer in 1992. We have no manuals & the Dr knows nothing else about the system.
The datafiles are somewhere, and they have a name. (Sometimes the name can tell a little about the type of file and how it is written.)
Does the software tell you at a menu or someplace where your data is and the filenames? Otherwise, you are going to have to hunt through this.
You should have access to commands such as:
dir or ls -- either will give a directory listing
cd -- this is how you move around, as in cd newdirectory
How familiar are you with unix commands?
Is the computer connected to the internet in any way - to move files and/or allow remote access?
I've used this unix system for 2 yrs. I know a few old dbase commands. have found directory but scroll lock doesn't work for that computer & can't get directory to print. dir I use is usr2/meddata. I need the patient demographics info.
ls -l >flist.txt
redirects the output to a file
then
cat flist.txt
that way, you can see the files
from there, to print
lp flist.txt
assuming that you have a default printer specified
doesn't work. Says not found.
cat flist.txt
does not work?
what happens if you ls flist.txt -- the file should be there
Also, I private messaged you so that we may take this conversation off-line. Check your PM's. (Top right area of these screens)
Medical Manager (through V9) uses a fixed length CSV text based internal file format. The patient demographics are stored in the "PATFILE.dat". This file, "patfile.dat" can be copied (must use a copy or you will destroy the Medical Manager Database). The "patfile.dat" file should be renamed to "patfile.csv". Using excel you can directly import the file. Just double click on it. If over 65K records then use ACCESS or any program that can import CSV files. After that it is simple to export the patient data. It is text, just delete the columns that uyou do not want to export then export in CSV format. The file is in CSV format internally. Example:
"LastName","FirstName",12345,...,...., LF. just "space padded on the right" to fixed length as shown.
Good luck!