FILE tag

Specifies a non-Analytics file, such as an Excel file, or a delimited file, that provides input for an analytic script running in Robots. The file must be located in the Input/Output tab in the same robot as the analytic script.

Syntax

//FILE filename
  <description>

Parameters

Name	Description
filename	The name of the file in the Input/Output tab in Robots to use as input for an analytic script. Note The filename value must exactly match the name of the file in the Input/Output tab. filename cannot include a path. You can use wildcard characters in filename to assist with matching a name. You cannot use a variable for filename. Unsupported characters in the file name Do not include any spaces in filename. Do not use any of the following characters in filename. They are not supported: < > : " \ / \| Wildcard characters Wildcards are supported when specifying the file name. Use a single asterisk ( * ) to substitute for zero or more consecutive characters. For example: Inv12* matches all of the following: Inv12, Inv123, and Inv1234 . matches all files of all extensions Inv_. matches Inv_Jan.pdf and Inv_Feb.xls *.xlsx matches all Excel files with a .xlsx extension
description optional	Descriptive text about the non-Analytics file or other information. The description can be multiline, but it cannot skip lines. The description appears in the analytic header only and is not visible to end users in Robots.

Name

Description

filename

The name of the file in the Input/Output tab in Robots to use as input for an analytic script.

Note

The filename value must exactly match the name of the file in the Input/Output tab. filename cannot include a path.

You can use wildcard characters in filename to assist with matching a name.

You cannot use a variable for filename.

Unsupported characters in the file name

Do not include any spaces in filename.

Do not use any of the following characters in filename. They are not supported:

< > : " \ / |

Wildcard characters

Wildcards are supported when specifying the file name. Use a single asterisk ( * ) to substitute for zero or more consecutive characters.

For example:

Inv12* matches all of the following: Inv12, Inv123, and Inv1234
*.* matches all files of all extensions
Inv_*.* matches Inv_Jan.pdf and Inv_Feb.xls
*.xlsx matches all Excel files with a .xlsx extension

description

optional

Descriptive text about the non-Analytics file or other information. The description can be multiline, but it cannot skip lines.

The description appears in the analytic header only and is not visible to end users in Robots.

Examples

Basic examples

Specifies a specific file:

//FILE FlaggedAccounts.csv

Specifies all CSV files starting with "Flagged":

//FILE Flagged*.csv

Specifies all files:

//FILE *.*

Advanced examples

Import data from a related file

You run a monthly analysis of employee data contained in a delimited file that is manually uploaded to the Input/Output tab in Robots on a monthly basis. The analytic script in Robots imports the data from the delimited file to an Analytics table:

COMMENT
//ANALYTIC TYPE IMPORT employee_import
  Imports employee records from a delimited file stored in the Input/Output tab.
//FILE Employees.csv
END
IMPORT DELIMITED TO Employees "Employees.fil" FROM "Employees.csv" 0 SEPARATOR "," QUALIFIER '"' CONSECUTIVE STARTLINE 1 KEEPTITLE FIELD "First_Name" C AT 1 DEC 0 WID 11 PIC "" AS "First Name"  FIELD "Last_Name" C AT 12 DEC 0 WID 12 PIC "" AS "Last Name"

Remarks

To be used in a script, a non-Analytics file must first be imported into an Analytics table. Non-Analytics files cannot be used directly in a script.