Microsoft KB Archive/44554

= Microsoft Knowledge Base =

File: Copying Records by Position
Last reviewed: October 27, 1994

Article ID: Q44554

Summary:

In Microsoft File, instead of retyping information in one record that is similar to another, copy the record or records into the Clipboard, then paste the copy into the same or a different data file. File allows you to copy a single record or group of records by name or position. Copy by position is only available when pasting the records into a different data file. If the records are pasted into the same data file, File will automatically copy by name.

To copy by position, do the following:

 Select the record or records you want to copy. From the Edit menu, choose Copy. Close the data file. From the File menu, choose Open Datafile and open the data file in which the records are to be pasted. Highlight the New record.  From the Edit menu, choose Paste. Note: If you are using a version of File earlier than 2.00, select Position in the Position dialog box and click OK. 

More Information:

When you copy by position in a version of File earlier than 2.00, the application copies the contents of a field in the original data file to the field in the same position in the new data file. File ignores field names, pasting in order from left to right, top to bottom. If File does not find a field in a matching position, the contents of the field are discarded. If the information types do not match, File displays &quot;#ERROR&quot; in the field instead of the pasted value. Use this method when the field positions in the two files match.

If you close the data file, open a different data file, and paste from the Clipboard, File displays the Position dialog box, which allows you to choose Paste By Position or Paste By Name.