Data Preparation

Before importing, look at your table and decide what data you want to import and what type of data it is. You also must decide how you want to use the information in the table. Each column in your table can be brought in as variable selection criteria or as a linked variable.

If the data is based on the same selection criteria, you may want to create linked variables. If the data in your table determines the value to be used, you may want to use fields or variables as selection criteria.

For example, if you have two different rates (Rates A and B) that are both based off the same territory code (TerCode), you could create a table variable (RateA), then create a linked variable (RateB) and use selection criteria field (TerCode). Or you could create a single table variable (RateA) the uses selection criteria field (TerCode) and another separate table variable (RateB) that also uses criteria field (TerCode). In the case where you create two separate table variables, you would have to import your .txt file twice; once to field the data for RateA and a second time to field the data for RateB.

You also may have two territory codes (TerCodeA and TerCodeB) that are used to select a base rate (RateA), you could create a table variable (RateA) with two selection criteria fields (TerCodeA and TerCodeB).

Each column in your table that you want to bring in must be assigned to table variable, linked variable or variable selection criteria. If you do not have a table variable, linked variable or a variable selection criteria, the data will not be brought into the table.

Restricted Use of Special Characters

A table variable file name is the actual name of the file that will be imported into RateManager or exported out of RateManager. For example, ‘BI_Rates4-2011.txt’. Table Variable File Names cannot contain:

Name	Character
Ampersand	&
Apostrophe	'
Asterisk	*
Backslash	\
Colon	:
Greater-Than Sign	>
Less-Than Sign	<
Question Mark	?
Quotation Mark	"
Slash	/
Vertical Bar	|

• If you attempt to import a file with a restricted character, you will receive an error message.
• All other characters are allowed in a table variable file names. Table variable data files are the contents inside the file to be imported into a table variable or exported out of RateManager. Table Variable Data Files will be rejected if restricted characters are contained within the file.

Restricted Characters are:

Name	Character
Apostrophe	'
Ampersand	&
Apostrophe	'
Greater-Than Sign	>
Less-Than Sign	<
Plus Sign	+
Pound	#
Quotation Mark	"
Tilde	~
Bar + H	|H
Bar + h	|h
Bar + L	|L
Bar + l	|l

All other characters are allowed in a table variable data file with some considerations:

• Asterisk (*) must be inside a string (p**l). A single asterisk is considered a wildcard and will be removed. The field is displayed as blank.
• Quotation marks may be placed around commas and quotes. This depends upon the source where your data was created. You can preview your data before importing to visually inspect it. RateManager does not remove quotation marks prior to importing.
• Ticks (`) may not always import properly. It is recommended that you avoid using this character if possible or only use this characters inside a string (an`s).

Data can be imported into any unlocked table variable at any time.