Import DBF Data

The Data Editor's File | Import | DBF import program reads files into a single datasheet in the current data file. You may control the DBF fields are assigned to each datasheet column.

How to…

Import DBF data

1. Open the existing data file or data template into which the DBF data are to be imported.
   
2. Click on the tab for the datasheet into which you wish to import the DBF data. (You can insert a new datasheet if necessary.)
   
3. Select the Data Editor's File menu, and choose the Import | DBF option.
   
4. Enter the requested information into this first import screen:
   • File Name: Click on the open-file button to the right of the prompt to select the name of the DBF file whose contents are to be imported. This file must have a "DBF" extension.
   • Import to: This determines the datasheet into which the data is to be imported. The default will be the current (front-most) sheet, but you may click on the arrows to advance through the list of datasheets in the current data file. The selected sheet will be brought to the foreground of the Editor. The datasheets will be listed by their tab names. If necessary you can move the import window to the side as you scroll through the tab names to see which datasheet is on top.
   • Starting at Row: Enter the row number in the specified data tab at which the imported data listing should start. Note that the imported data will always start in the first column, though you can manually select the import column order.
   • To the right you will see the Database Structure which summarizes the fields in the DBF file. Click the View File to view the contents of the DBF file.
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5. Click Next to advance to the next screen, where you can assign specific DBF fields to specific columns in the selected datasheet.
   • The first column, labeled Fields, corresponds to the fields in the DBF file. The second column, labeled LP Column, corresponds to the columns in the active datasheet.
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6. Identify the first field you wish to import by clicking in the LP Column cell for that field and identifying the column in the datasheet where the data is to be imported. Repeat for additional fields. Any DBF fields you don't want to bring into LogPlot can be left blank (unmapped).

   

7. Click Finish to proceed with the import.

LogPlot will extract the selected fields in the DBF file and list them in the requested columns in the datasheet.

! LogPlot datasheets require that the first one or two columns list point depths or top-bottom depth intervals. If the imported DBF file isn't listed with depths, you can leave the depth column(s) blank, and then enter the depths manually or automatically using the Fill Depth Column or Fill Interval Column tools.

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