Navigation:  How to Work with Data Files > Populating a Data File for Testing and Simulating Purposes

 

Overview

 

To test and/or debug the project, it becomes necessary to populate the existing data files (especially when dealing with "Lookup" files").

 

When adding data to a data file, we recommend you avoid the use of wildcard characters to prevent sorting issues and unreliable data lookup results.

For instance, if you execute a data file lookup for a record with a wildcard character, instead of the intended record, it might just return the first record that contains the wildcard or even no records at all.

 

 

To Populate Data Files

 

Step-by-step

 

1. Go to the "Data Files" module and select the data file you want to add data to.

 

2. Right-click the file and, in the resulting menu, select “Edit”.

 

 

3. In the properties window, click (located on the upper right corner) to open a "File Data Viewer" window.

This is where you add data.

 

 

4. Click the desired field and fill in the required values.

 

5. If required, click to sort the entered data according to the available sorting possibilities ("Field 1"/"Fields 1 + 2"/"Fields 1 + 2 + 3"/"Fields 1 + 2 + 3 + 4").

This option is only available if you select a sorting field option in the data file's properties window ("Sort on" drop-down in the "General" tab).

 

6. Click to finish populating the data file or to abort the operation.

 

 

Use the icon to add a record.

Click to delete the selected record.

 

To import data into that opened file from an external data file, click . See Import Data into an Opened Data File.

To search data in an opened file, click . See Search Data in an Opened Data File.