Import Surpac1 geology database

This function allows you to create a drill hole database definition file from an old Surpac database definition file. After you have created the new definition file, you can connect to the old Surpac database and further processing can be carried out.

To run this function: Choose File > Import > Surpac1 geology database, or...

In the Function Chooser, type SDB TO DDB, and press ENTER.

Note: Due to the different database structure of the old Surpac database's, editing, inserting or deleting of collar, survey, translation and geology tables is not possible. Editing, inserting and deleting of assay tables is possible because of the similar database structure.

Database Name

Enter the name of your existing Surpac database. The program will append the letters `DE.SDB' to the database name to find the definition filename. Do not enter the name of this definition file.

Result

A new database definition file will be created and have the database name with a '.ddb' extension. Confirmation of the creation of this file will be displayed in the message window. If the Surpac definition file cannot be found an error message will be displayed.

If frequent use of an old Surpac database is required, it is recommended that a new database be created and the data unloaded from the old Surpac database and then loaded into the new database. This can easily be achieved as follows:

Use this function to create a new definition file eg. if we had an existing Surpac database called `gold', then the definition file should exist called GOLDDE.SDB. This function will create converted definition file called GOLD.DDB.
From the main menu choose GEOLOGICAL DATABASE and enter the name of your old Surpac database e.g. gold. You will now be connected to this database via the new definition file GOLD.DDB.
Use Database > Database > Export data to unload the drill hole data into text files. The data will be stored in the text files in the new database structure format i.e. there will be a separate collar and survey text file and any geology data will be unloaded with a depth_from value stored as well as a depth_to value.
Create a new database to store the unloaded information.
Choose Database > Database > Import data to load the data from the text files you created.
The text files created via this method are collar.txt, survey.txt, assay.txt and geology.txt which are free formatted text files. The assay file however does not contain the text data that was previously translated in the Surpac database. We suggest that you unload your assay data via Surpac to the default text file name, and then create a description file in Surpac2 which has the assay table in fixed format, while the other tables, (collar, survey and geology) are free formatted.