Importing... with a twist 2

[famousb]

Here's a really tough one...<br>
we are beginning to collect line-item data that can reachup to 5 million records (a little bit more than what Access likes to handle). all we need to do is to take a random sample of 100 records from that line-item data. we are looking at buying software to run the random sample so that we can then import it into Access. from a more cost-efficient standpoint, does anyone know of a way to have Access only import a random sample from the complete list of line-item data?<br>
or of any cheap software that can quickly run random samples from datasets this large?<br>
<br>
thanks <p>Brian Famous<br><a href=mailto:bfamous@ncdoi.net>bfamous@ncdoi.net</a><br><a href= > </a><br>

 

[JimHorton]

Brian,<br>
You could use File I/O, use Open to open the file, then randomly seek() to different record numbers, writing to variables, then into an Access table.<br>
--Jim

 

[elizabeth]

BTW, a company called FMS (<A HREF="

http://www.fmsinc.com"

TARGET="_new">

http://www.fmsinc.com</A>)

has a product called Total Access Statistics that you might find useful. I haven't used it so don't know if it includes this feature, but I have used 2 of their other products which were excellent, and inexpensive considering all the time they saved me.

 

[famousb]

Jim and Elizabeth,<br>
Thank you both for your help. <br>
<br>
Jim - i see your train of thought, and i'm going to have to give that a try, it may work out with a little effort.<br>
<br>
Elizabeth - thanks for the lead to the software, even if it can't do what i was asking for there it still may be very useful so i don't have to do ananlysis in other programs.<br>
<br>
thanks a ton.<br>
brian <p>Brian Famous<br><a href=mailto:bfamous@ncdoi.net>bfamous@ncdoi.net</a><br><a href= > </a><br>