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Importing Bento data (Mac OS)

FileMaker Pro can import Bento data into an existing FileMaker Pro file or convert Bento data into a new FileMaker Pro file. The Bento file must be created with Bento 2 (or a later supported version). Bento 2 (or a later supported version) must be installed on the computer running FileMaker Pro.

Note  You can import from Bento 1 by saving Bento data as a .csv file and then importing the .csv file into FileMaker Pro.

Before you begin importing Bento data, be sure that the bento.bentodb file is in its default location in your home folder: Library/Application Support/Bento.

To import Bento data into an existing FileMaker Pro file:

1.	Open the FileMaker Pro file that you want to import records into (the target file).

2.	If you’re updating existing or matching records, choose File menu > Save a Copy As to make a backup copy of the target file.

Important  Updating existing or matching records overwrites data in the target file and cannot be undone, so make sure you understand how updating records works before you begin. For more information, see Methods of importing data into an existing file.

3.	If the target file contains multiple tables, use the Layout pop-up menu to display a layout that shows fields from the table you want to import data into.

4.	If you’re adding new records, skip to the next step.

If you’re updating existing or matching records, do the following before you import:

•	If you’re updating existing records in the file, make sure the found set contains only the records you want to replace.

•	If you’re updating matching records, make sure the found set contains only the records you want to update. Records outside the found set will not be updated, even if match field data matches.

5.	Choose File menu > Import Records > Bento Data Source.

6.	Enter the Database Password in the Bento Password dialog box, if one was set in Bento. Click OK.

7.	In the Select Bento Source dialog box, select the library and collection that you want to import, then click Continue.

The Import Field Mapping dialog box appears.

8.	Choose the Target table and Import Action, then choose the fields in your database that map to the data being imported. (For more information, see Setting the import action and mapping fields during import.)

Note  A Bento location field displays as two separate fields in the Source Fields list: [Fieldname](Longitude) and [Fieldname](Latitude).

9.	Click Import.

The Import Summary dialog box shows the progress of your import.

10.

Click OK.

To import Bento data into a new FileMaker Pro file:

1.	In the FileMaker Quick Start Screen, select Convert an Existing File, then choose Bento Data Source.

If you don’t see the FileMaker Quick Start Screen, choose Help menu > Quick Start Screen, and repeat step 1.

2.	Enter the Database Password in the Bento Password dialog box, if one was set in Bento. Click OK.

3.	In the Select Bento Source dialog box, select the library and collection that you want to import, then click Continue.

The Create a New File Named dialog box appears.

4.	Type a name for the new file, choose a location, then click Save.

The Import Summary dialog box shows the progress of your import.

Bento and FileMaker Pro field type mapping

The following table lists how Bento field types map to FileMaker Pro field types.

Note  Data might appear differently after you import because of the differences in field mapping between Bento and FileMaker Pro and issues related to numerical precision.

 

Bento Field Type	FileMaker Pro Field Type	Notes
Date	Timestamp	Dates also display a time. Data is reformatted into FileMaker Pro format.
Time	Time	Data is reformatted into FileMaker Pro format
Checkbox	Number
Currency	Number
Automatic Counter	Number
Number	Number
Duration	Number
Rating	Number
Text	Text
Choice	Text
Date Created	Timestamp
Date Modified	Timestamp
Calculation	Text, Number, Time, or Timestamp
Address	Text	Multiple fields are created
Email Address	Text	Multiple fields are created
Phone Number	Text	Multiple fields are created
URL	Text	Multiple fields are created
IM Account	Text	Multiple fields are created
Encrypted (Bento 3 or a later supported version)	Text	If the Bento database requires a password, FileMaker Pro also requires it
Location (Bento 4 or a later supported version)	Number	Location fields are imported as two separate Number fields: [Fieldname](Longitude) and [Fieldname](Latitude)
Simple List (Bento 3 or a later supported version)	Text	Tab characters are inserted between each column. Carriage return characters are inserted between each row. Although simple list fields in Bento 4 support types other than text, FileMaker Pro imports the data as text.

The following user-created field types in Bento are not supported in FileMaker Pro:

•

Media

•

File List

•	Related Records List (in Bento 3, this field type is named Related Data)

•	Message List