MySQL database "literature", table "formats" ============================================ field names ----------- fields available in table "formats" description ----------------------------------- ----------- format_id the unique ID number of this format entry format_name the display name of this format as it occurs within the formats popup format_type the type of this format, either 'import' or 'export' format_enabled specifies globally whether the referenced format can be displayed within the formats popup ('true') [if a user chooses so] or not ('false') format_spec the unique name of the file holding the function that will output this format (format files must be located either within the 'export' or the 'import' directory) order_by a string that specifies the primary sort order for this entry (secondary sort order is by format name) depends_id the unique ID number of the referenced external utility that's required for this format (the ID corresponds to the depends_id number of the utility's entry within the "depends" table) column types ------------ format_id MEDIUMINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY format_name VARCHAR(100) format_type ENUM("export","import") NOT NULL format_enabled ENUM("true","false") NOT NULL format_spec VARCHAR(255) order_by VARCHAR(25) depends_id MEDIUMINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL INDEX (format_name) table creation code ------------------- CREATE TABLE formats (format_id MEDIUMINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY, format_name VARCHAR(100), format_type ENUM("export","import") NOT NULL, format_enabled ENUM("true","false") NOT NULL, format_spec VARCHAR(255), order_by VARCHAR(25), depends_id MEDIUMINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL, INDEX (format_name)); rules for data import --------------------- - fields are separated by tabs, records are separated by returns (if not specified otherwise within the LOAD DATA statement) - order of fields must resemble the above field order! - DATE format must be YYYY-MM-DD - TIME format must be HH:MM:SS - carriage returns *within* fields (ASCII character 11) must be replaced with a "UNIX return" (ASCII character 10) -> Search for: (\x0B) Replace with: \\n - empty fields are indicated by \N -> Search for: (?<=\t|^)(?=\t|$) Replace with: \\N - character encoding: higher ASCII chars must be encoded as ISO-8859-1 - file encoding must be UNIX load data code -------------- LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE "/PATH/TO/FILE/formats.txt" INTO TABLE formats; or, alternatively, use something like the following from your shell: mysqlimport --local -u root -p YOUR_DB_NAME "/PATH/TO/FILE/formats.txt"