Hi guys,

This used to happen occasionally, but now seems to be a regular occurrence: our output files (exceptions, updates) get written with tabs delimiting fields, rather than commas. This is irritating as Excel doesn't handle this nicely. Our workaround is to open the file in notepad and then paste the contents into Excel using the "text import wizard" - not ideal.

Is this likely to be caused by something in our file structure? Whilst it used to feel random, I'm now beginning to suspect that it happens to some profiles more than others.

Any thoughts welcome.

Cheers,

Tom

Weird, I don't think I have ever seen this happen.

Are you messing with the output files in the API somewhere?

Nope. Not touching the output. (In fact, I've seen it happen for profiles with nothing in the custom code.)

If it's just me, I wonder if it's a peculiarity of our installation. Interestingly, it does happen to others in my office.

very strange, I don't think there is a system setting for "default delimiter". I assume that IOM just uses a standard library to write the output files so it might be picking up a setting from windows or something?

Maybe it's just because you are in the UK. Strange things happen over there.

Hi Tom, any time we've seen this it's usually because there is a tab character somewhere in the original data file header row. Can you check?

Jeff

HI

 

I see this all the time. Usually from the 3rd expections files From the exceptions files

#1 except file is comma-delimited

then we upload #1

#2 except file is comma-delimited

then we upload #2

3rd except file is then tab-delimited. 

 

and no, the headers do not have tab chars.

 

glad to know it's not just us!

 

 

Hi all,

I had been meaning to post back after checking a misbehaving file. But, alas, this bug has gone all shy. I will report back next time it happens though!

Chinh, interesting to hear that it's been affecting you. I'm not sure our issue happens as frequently (or reliably) as that, but at least I've not gone mad.

Tom

Hi again,

This has happened a couple of times (that I've witnessed) in the last few days. In both cases it's been for profiles (and input files) that also generate nice comma-delimited files, which makes me think it's not (in our case / always) related to the headers. These recent examples seem to be more related to number of rows actually - short files seem more likely to end up tabbed.

Cheers,
Tom

hi

this is annoying because it's not easily replicated.

I'll expand on my case

we get .xlsx
>> save as csv
>> .csv is devoid of tab chars in any part of file
>> Usually the 3rd one is tab'd ... random chance

however looking through exps folder from when my team were importing, it was the first exp which was tab'd...

Jeff; you use the term 'usually' does that mean you are unclear on your side when this issue can arise?

I've created a test file with Tab in header and I get error before exp file can be generated

'Unable to open the file specified. Please make sure the correct file was selected. Error: Line 1 cannot be parsed using the current Delimiters

using a txt file with this content:
"field1[tab]","field2"
"abc","def"

I'm also having this issue - with some, not all, output files. Has anyone figured out how to fix this? Thanks

Hi everyone,

With your help with identified and corrected this issue. It will be in IOM 3.1 being released at the end of this month. Thanks for bringing it to our attention, sorry for the inconvenience.

Jeff

Sorry, the version will be 3.1.X.

Hi everyone,

I work with Tom at Alzheimer's Research UK and I have also noticed this happening in the exception files. Recently we also had something strange happen where the exception file came out in both tabs delimiting fields and commas. We are currently using version 3.2.2.1. Any ideas what's happening here?

Thanks,

Abbie

http://i.imgur.com/myRJQqU.png