Inserting data into MYSQL from a TEXT FILE (not in CSV format)

[reduday]

I am a novice to PHP and MYSQL, I have been asked to create a new database on MYSQL, I have problem with the data, right now I am in the process of understanding the data, but the data is in text format and I guess separated by spaces, it is not comma delimited and each record is divided into 4 lines. So how should my approach be towards creating the database and the reading the data?

And do I have to write any script to read the data line by line and extract what I want and if so could any experts help me out with this.

010281C 64870002722101 BAY COMMUNITY BANK RM BAY NN0215 0078 2001022615:08
020126C 64870002722101 341741 757 5990895 PV
030367C 64870002722101 ATTN; MARKETING DEPARTMENT PO BOX 940 RUTHER GLEN VA22546 P
040109C 64870002722101 507082BAY COMMUNITY BANK
990237 I 6487001 1 0.0002 1 0.0003 1 0.0004 1 0.00

I have even added an example attachment on how it looks in a text file.

Thank you all.

[falko]

I think (or hope...) the fields are separated by tabs, not spaces, because otherwise a field like "BAY COMMUNITY BANK" would be split into three fields...

I think you should write a script (e.g. in PHP) to read the file and split it up into lines, and then try to split the lines into fields (try \t as the field delimiter).

[reduday]

Thanks a lot Falko,

I have never written a script on PHP, could you please give me an example or tell me how to write the script.

Thanks again

[falko]

Try something like this:
<?php
$link = mysql_connect('localhost', 'mysql_user', 'mysql_password');
mysql_select_db('foo', $link);

$contents = readfile('/path/to/file');
$lines = explode("\n", $contents);
foreach($lines as $line){
$line = trim($line);
list($field1, $field2, $field3, ...) = explode("\t", $line);
mysql_query("INSERT INTO mytable (field1, field2, field3) VALUES ('".$field1."', '".$field2."', '".$field3."')", $link);
}

mysql_close($link);
?>

[reduday]

Thank you,

And sorry I was not able to reply very soon, was on vacation, but thanks again, I am gonna try using the code.