ClarisWorks lets you enter more than one line of information into database text fields. This handy feature isn't supported by many database programs, so ClarisWorks has to make special accommodations for this feature when you export information. It departs from the standard tab-delimited text format; any returns pressed within text fields are converted to a special character, ASCII 11 (this is also the character FileMaker Pro uses.) This feature applies for exports only. When inserting or opening a text file in the ClarisWorks 2.0 database, the ASCII 11 is converted to a space, not a return.
If you want to preserve the returns within your database text fields, you need to follow a different procedure than usual. One method you can use is to change the returns within fields to some special series of characters before you save the file as text. Later, when you insert the file, you can change the special characters back to a return.
Here is a step-by-step description of what you need to do:
1. Pick your own special character, or series of characters. You should use text that you don't use in your database, such as the bullet (·) or paragraph symbol (¶). In this example, we'll use "#@#".
2. Change the returns in your database file to your special character.
a. Choose Find/Change from the Edit menu. You may be accustomed to using this command with word processing tasks, but it also work with the database environment.
b. Type \\p into the Find field. This tells ClarisWorks to search for carriage returns.
c. Type #@# into the Change field.
d. Click Change All and confirm that you know this command cannot be undone. ClarisWorks will change all return characters to #@#.
3. Save the file as text. (Or, use the DIF format, if you want to preserve field names.)
When you insert or import the file, you use the Find/Change command again to restore the returns within fields:
1. Choose Find/Change from the Edit menu.
2. Type #@# into the Find field.
3. Type \\p into the Change field.