Importing a large .csv into Access with more than 255 Fields

[johnporter123]

Does anyone have a method of importing a large "FLAT" CSV file into access. The file has well over 255 columns (Fields). Before anyone flames me over normalization, I do not have access to the source DB for the file and the CSV file has the data I need, but it is buried in this huge text file output from another Compan'y database. The purpose of getting it into Access is so that I can adjust it to 1st normal form, and recompute the tables in a relational format.

I can simply use the wizard to import the first 255 fields, but my issue is that I can not even see the fields beyond field 255 (at least in the wizard). I would be happy to select the few fields that I do want to import, but I don't know VBA scripting very well. Can you import the first 255 field into one table (then move or delete the unwanted fields to another table) and then append the table with the remaining fields?

Any help would be useful here... I would manually edit the text file, but is it so large the "Colum Headers" take up a full landscaped page in notepad.

The file does have text headers above the data, and I know the specific names of the headers.

Thanks,
John

[FishVal]

Hi, John.

255 is a limit for number of fields in table. There is nothing to do here. On the other hand you may have 1 memo field in your table, import or link csv row-per-record for example and then parse it to individual substrings into a normalized (of course) set of tables.

Kind regards,
Fish

[johnporter123]

Hi, John.

255 is a limit for number of fields in table. There is nothing to do here. On the other hand you may have 1 memo field in your table, import or link csv row-per-record for example and then parse it to individual substrings into a normalized (of course) set of tables.

Kind regards,
Fish

I assume you mean dump all the data (i.e. rows) into a single "Field". RIght? Wa shoping for a more elegant solution, but I think it may work. I will have to append the data every month...ug.

Thanks Fish

[FishVal]

Not at all.

Actually I don't see more elegant solution so far.
Maybe somebody else.

Best regards,
Fish.

[NeoPa]

Don't forget the Split() function when parsing the data. It can save much headaches ;)