Convert CardData from Sidekick95/97/98/99 to any prog and back

This FAQ refers to Cardfiles only:

[color red]This includes the contact log/card log if you have Internet Sidekick[/color]
See the following FAQ for the address of the download site for that and more (i.e. getting the conversion process done for you):

faq807-3761

To transfer Data from Sidekick95/Sidekick98
Go to File|Export and follow the instructions
Save the new file as a Tab-Delimited .Txt file as this saves most of the data and allows long field names unlike DbIII or DbIV.
You can then import it into Access or any program you like but for Access do it with
1. The delimiter set to Tab and
2. " as the Text Qualifier and
3. set Field Data Types to Text as it will mess up the numbers otherwise.
Also
4. set Field Data type as Memo for those fields that you feel may have greater than 50 characters as the Default size for Text Fields in Access is 50 Characters(AFAIK).

[color green]It is impossible to export the Card Contact Log in Sidekick95/98 but see the following for a work around:[/color]

[color red]If you can get hold of a copy of Internet Sidekick you can Export all of your cards PLUS your Card/Contact Log and then re-import the lot again without loosing any Data. First I suggest if it is a SDK95/SDK2 Cardfile you open the Cardfile in Starfish Internet Sidekick and then save it again as an Internet Sidekick Cardfile[/color]

Go to File|Save As and then use ASCII text-delimited as the file format.
In Internet Sidekick This includes the Card Log as a normal Field... So set the field mapping to default and you can export up to I believe 99 fields!!! though I have never done this myself!

You can then import your .txt file into Access and specify an Import profile that sets the Field Data type as Memo for those fields that you feel may have greater than 50 characters..
and the Data Type for the rest as Text as this retains any leading zeros in fields you have used for Numbers or Currency.

It is always advisable to check that your Data is complete as excessive Text in the Contact log (especially if it has been Copied/Cut from the Card and then pasted) can contain CR/LF's which may produce other fields in excess of the fields in your Cardfile.(You can go ahead and import the lot and then copy/paste or append those fields to the Field you designate as the Contact Log or as I said earlier in this Thread; save them as txt files and save the path to them in whatever program you end up using as your PIM)

I have now realised that when you have got your cardfile into Access and wish to Re-Export it back to .Txt if you wish to return it into Sidekick You must have added an Autonumber Field (a Primary Key Field) otherwise there is a possibility you may lose a few cards.
Don't ask me why this is so, I struggled with this for Hours/Days and of 6903 cards exported I ended up with 6885 in the SDK cardfile every time; that is until I added an autonumber field in Access and then re-exported them.


Add an ID field in Sidekick before the original Export so it is available to link with on the return journey.

Also on Export out of Access I find that using Tab-Delimited and NO Text qualifier works best.

[color red]Important: when exporting from Access use a completely different name from the original *.txt file (The one you created when you exported it from SDK) and if that doesn't work (sidekick says it can't import it) the first time,
use a different file name the second time![/color]

Regards Jim