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Delimited file

Overview​

A delimited file is a sequential file with column delimiters. Each delimited file is a stream of records, which consists of fields that are ordered by column. Each record contains fields for one row. Within each row, individual fields are separated by column delimiters.

Example use case​

You have a delimited file that contains your Employee information. You want to use a batch sync to pull this info into a Cinchy table and liberate your data.

tip

The Delimited File source supports batch syncs.

danger

The Delimited File source doesn't support Geometry, Geography, or Binary data types.

Info tab​

You can find the parameters in the Info tab below (Image 1).

Values​

ParameterDescriptionExample
TitleMandatory. Input a name for your data syncEmployee Sync
VariablesOptional. Review our documentation on Variables here for more information about this field. When uploading a local file, set this to @filepath.@Filepath
PermissionsData syncs are role based access systems where you can give specific groups read, write, execute, and/or all of the above with admin access. Inputting at least an Admin Group is mandatory.

Image 1: The Info Tab

Source tab​

The following table outlines the mandatory and optional parameters you will find on the Source tab (Image 2).

The following parameters will help to define your data sync source and how it functions.

:::tip Registered Applications

For information on setting up registered applications for S3 or Azure, please see the Registered Applications page.

:::

ParameterDescriptionExample
(Sync) SourceMandatory. Select your source from the drop down menu.Delimited File
SourceThe location of the source file. Either a Local upload, Amazon S3, or Azure Blob StorageThe following authentication methods are supported per source:Amazon S3: Access Key ID/Secret Access KeyAzure Blob Storage: Connection StringLocal
DelimiterMandatory. The delimiter character used to separate the. text strings. Use U+#### syntax (U+0001) for unicode characters.,
Text QualifierMandatory. The text qualifier character, which is used in the event that the delimiter is contained within the row cell. Typically, the text qualifier is a double quote."
Header Rows to IgnoreMandatory. The number of records from the top of the file to ignore before the data starts (includes column header).If you use both useHeaderRecord="true" and HeaderRowsToIgnore = 1, two rows will be ignored. Refer to the below to ensure you are receiving the results you want:One row as headers: useHeaderRecord="true" and HeaderRowsToIgnore = 0Two rows as headers: useHeaderRecord="true" and HeaderRowsToIgnore = 1 Three rows as headers: useHeaderRecord="true" and HeaderRowsToIgnore = 21
EncodingOptional. The encoding of the file. This default to UTF8, however also supports: UTF8_BOM, UTF16, ASCII.
Use Header RecordOptional. Check this box to use the Header record to match schema. If set to true, fields not present in the record will default to null.
PathMandatory. The path to the source file to load. To upload a local file, you must first insert a Parameter in the Info tab of the connection (ex: filepath). Then, you would reference that same value in this location (Ex: @Filepath). This will then trigger a File Upload option to import your file.@Filepath
AuthTypeThis field defines the authentication type for your data sync. Cinchy supports "Access Key" and "IAM" role. When selecting Access Key, you must provide the key and key secret. When selecting IAM role, a new field will appear for you to paste in the role's Amazon Resource Name (ARN). You also must ensure that:The role must be configured to have at least read access to the source. The Connections pods' role must have permission to assume the role specified in the data sync config
Test ConnectionYou can use the "Test Connection" button to ensure that your credentials are properly configured to access your source. If configured correctly, a "Connection Successful" pop-up will appear. If configured incorrectly, a "Connection Failed" pop-up will appear along with a link to the applicable error logs to help you troubleshoot.

Image 2: Define your Source

Next steps​

FAQ​

Can I get a record count from a delimited file before running the CLI?​

You can use PowerShell to count the lines in a delimited file and based on the result decide if you will run the CLI.

Open an instance of Powershell as the administrator and run the below code, which uses the following example values:

  • File name: sample_150k.csv
  • Record count threshold: 50000
$row_count=(get-content sample_150k.csv).length
write-host $row_count

If ($row_count -lt 50000)
{
     exit
}
else {
      Write-host "run CLI"
}

How do I parse a pipe delimited file using the CLI?​

You can parse a pipe delimited file by setting the delimiter to |.

<DelimitedDataSource delimiter="|" textQualifier="&quot;"  headerRowsToIgnore="2" path="@filePath" encoding="UTF8">