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PublicationDate: 10/26/98 Summary: Tip of the Week -- File Formats and External Export Author: CPS - Central Processing System (CPS) Posted October 26, 1998 TO: All Destination Points FROM: CPS Customer Service RE: Tip of the Week --- File Formats and External Export This week's tip highlights a function or process in the EDExpress software: File Formats and External Export. EDExpress for Windows users can export student data from the App Express, Packaging, and Direct Loan modules to external systems, such as mainframe and third party software. This process is known in the EDExpress software as External Export, and requires the creation of a user-defined File Format, which governs the data exported and its order. User defined File Formats can be created by selecting Tools/File Format from the main screen of EDExpress; and then selecting the appropriate module (App Express, Packaging, or Direct Loan) from which you wish to export data. For Packaging File Formats, you have the option of designating All or Selected fields in your user-defined File Format. If you choose to create a File Format using All Packaging fields, all Packaging data will be exported in a pre-defined order. If you choose to create a File Format using Selected fields, you have the ability to choose which Packaging fields you wish to export and the order in which the fields are exported. For App Express, you can only create a File Format using Selected fields. For Direct Loan, you can create File Formats using both Loan and PLUS fields, Loan/Demo fields, or Selected fields from the Actual Disbursements, Anticipated Disbursements, Loans, or PLUS database tables. Once you have created a user-defined File Format for App Express, Packaging or Direct Loan, you must go to that module's corresponding Export menu (via File/Export) to perform an External Export. On the External Export screen, select a File Format Code and, if so desired, any selection criteria. You must also designate an export directory and name for the export file you are about to create. The data will be exported in ASCII format. Once you have completed an External Export, you can print the record layout for the export files you created to assist you with interpreting the data for importing into your mainframe or third party software. To print your External Export record layout, go to File/Print, select the module in which you created your File Format, select "Record Layout - User-Defined Format" and the File Format code you used for your External Export, then click OK. If you have any questions, please contact CPS Customer Service at 1-800-330-5947, or via e-mail at CPS@NCS.COM. |