Exporting and utilizing data from 4HPlus!

Exporting 4-H data from the Plus! software leverages the data in powerful ways. Once it has been imported into a secondary application, the possibilities are only limited by what the secondary application can do. Because the Plus! software exports data into a text file, it can be read by secondary software, such as Microsoft Excel, Access, or Word.

But, the first step is to get the data exported - read on!

Exporting Data from 4HPlus!

• Start 4HPlus!
• Click on [Goto] [Members] (or Leaders) [SQL]
• When you get into the SQL screen, click on [Request] [Mail Merge]

• Clicking on Mail Merge brought up a standard "selection" screen - which is the start of the SQL building process
• Build your SQL according to desired selection criteria

Here are few reminders about the SQL process:

1. Member (or Leaders) equal to "active" is assumed. However, if you simply want ALL Members (or Leaders), you can select "equal to" "active".
2. The fields you choose in step 2 of the SQL process correspond to the data fields that will show up in your exported data. There will be a header row (which is a good thing!)
3. The sort order is relatively unimportant - it won't affect what data you get, it will only affect the order that data is put in. Most secondary software will be able to easily sort it later, with the exception of a MS-Word Mail Merge.

• The final step is to click on [process]
• 4HPlus! will indicate that a file has been created and that the name of the file is 4hpmail.dat

You are now have a data file that can be imported into a secondary application.

Utilizing Exported Data

Data that has been exported from either 4HPlus! or FairPlus! can be utilized in a wide variety of applications. This sheet will cover it's use in four different ways:

1. Opening directly in MS-Word
2. Importing into MS-Excel
3. Importing into MS-Access
4. Using as Mail Merge data in MS-Word

Opening directly in MS-Word

This is the easiest method of accessing the data file. Because it is a text file, Word (or any other word processor) is able to open the file:

• Start MS-Word
• Click [File] [Open]
• You may need to change your "Files of type" to "All Files (*.*)". This is found near the bottom of the File Open dialogue box.
• Navigate to the location of data export file and select the file
• Click [Open]

You now see the text from the file - you can edit it, print it, format it, whatever you choose to do. Some possibly helpful uses:

1. Combining family members. If you chose to export 4HPlus! data so that it is sorted by "Last Name", family members should be next to, or nearly next to, each other. Family members can be combined and duplicate lines deleted. Then the file is ready for use as a Mail Merge data file "by family".
2. Converting to a table. Select all lines of the data, then click on [Table] [Convert] [Text to Table]. Do not remove the extra characters before converting.
3. Delete the extra characters. Depending upon the desired use, a Find/Repace operation can remove the quotation marks and commas. Click on [Edit] [Replace]. In the resulting dialogue box, in the "Find What" box, type a quotation mark or a comma - type a space, or nothing, in the "Replace With" box.

Importing into MS-Excel

• Start MS-Excel
• Click [File] [Open]
• You may need to change your "Files of type" to "All Files (*.*)". This is found near the bottom of the File Open dialogue box.
• Navigate to the location of data export file and select the file
• Click "Open"

This will start the "Text Import Wizard"

• Click on [Delimited] as the Original Data Type (this may already be selected)
• Click on Next
• Select [Comma] as the delimiter, and quotation marks (") as the Text Qualifier
• Click on [Next]
• Click on [Finish]

You will likely want to re-size the columns so that the data fits better. This can be quickly done by clicking and draging your mouse over all the column headers (selecting all columns). Then, move your mouse between two columns, at the very top (where the gray lettered buttons are) - when you get the double-arrow, do a double-click. The columns will now auto-fit.

Sorting can be accomplished with the button on the shortcut bar, but more reliable results are obtained by the following:

• Click on the selection button at the very top-left corner (between the "1" and the "A")
• Click on [Data] [Sort]
• On the resulting dialogue box, click on the first box to choose which column you want to sort by and whether you want it to be ascending or descending. Also be sure to indicate that your list has a "Header Row"
• Click OK

Importing into MS-Access

Importing into MS-Access is very similar to importing into MS-Excel. However, you must first create the database, then the file becomes a table within that database.

• Start MS-Access
• You will likely get a "helper" box:
  • If this is your first Plus! data being saved (or used), click on "Create a New Database Using >> A Blank Database. You will be prompted to name and save the new database.
  • If you have used Access before with Plus! data, you have the option of creating a new database OR saving the data in an existing database. Access will keep the new table separate from other tables.
• Click on [File] [Get External Data] [Import]
• In the resulting Data Import dialogue box, enter "*.*" (without the quotes) in the file name box and hit the enter key
• Navigate to, and select the desired data file
• Click [import]

This will start an Import Text Wizard, very simiar to the Excel Wizard (see above)

• Select [Delimited]
• Click [Next]
• Click on [In a New Table]
• Click on [Next]
• Click on a comma as the delimiter
• Click on [First Row Contains Field Names]
• Click on [Finish]

At this point, you now have the data in MS-Access, one of the very most powerful database tools available on a PC. You can do sorts, manipulations, filters, reports and a whole lot more. Refer to an Access user or other help source.

Using as Mail Merge data in MS-Word

In addition to "reading" the data files directly, MS-Word is able to use the data file as a Mail Merge data source. Please note that these are two different things.

To do a Mail Merge:

• Start MS-Word
• Click on [Tools] [Mail Merge]
• Click on [Create] (then choose whatever you are wanting to create)
• At this point you'll often be asked about the document. Generally, choosing "New Main Document" is the safest
• Then click on [Get Data] [Open Data Source]
• Change the "Files of Type" to [All Files (*.*)]
• Navigate to, and select the data file you are after, click [Open]

You will then be prompted to set up your document, insert fields, etc.

The last step is usually to "Merge to a New Document", which will then contain the data

Because there are so many different uses for Mail Merge data and ways to carry out the process, these direction are more general in nature. Consult an MS-Word user or other help source for specific steps.