Anyone received Experian txt file and been able to open it?

[Number4]

I've received a txt file from Experian.  Along with a code sheet.

If you just open the txt file, it contains multiple rows of zero's, with + symbols (as a separator?)

I can't see to get this to open.

Has anyone worked with one of these files?

[danilang]

Hi @Number4 

Can you attach it? Scratch that, I just remembered what Experian is so Don't attach it.  Can you provide a dummy/sample? 

Dan

[Number4]

I cannot.  Here is a snapshot of it, which shows what the body looks like.

[danilang]

@Number4 

Have you tried importing it as a .csv with no delimiter (\n).  That should at least read the file in.  From there, you may have to build a custom workflow to parse it.  

Experian provides several types of output files and their website has details about the formatting of at least some of them.  Have you looked there?

Dan

[ChrisTX]

What does the code sheet look like?

[Number4]

It appears to define column widths and starting points.

I've reached out to my contact and I'll respond with what they say.

Using (\n) does open it, but appears to drop anything hidden in the 0's.

[TravisR]

Which Experian product is this? Sometimes those text files they deliver are fixed width text files - and the code sheet they gave you is the translation of the fixed widths you need to use for each variable.

[TravisR · Accepted solution]

Yep! That's definitely a fixed width text file.

When you drag the file on to the Alteryx canvas - you should get the option to read it in as a fixed width text file - like below.

Once you select that option and hit ok - you ca either manually define the widths by hand - or you can import that code file that Experian provided you.

[Number4]

This is what I did, but in Excel.  I hadn't checked that box on the csv import for fixed width, so I didn't realize I could do this with Alteryx.

Wish I had, because Alteryx allows you to expand the window to see as many columns as your screen will allow.

The Excel box will not expand.