Converts the Vensim dataset vddffile to a relational data list format file datfile. The table is formatted as:
<variable> <subscripts> <extra columns> <time> <value>
This format can be very convenient for export to databases. However, it is also very inefficient, because variables and subscripts are repeated many times for each time series. For large models, this may cause impractical file size, in which case tabular or tidy data, or ODBC for direct interaction, may be a better choice.
If datfile is left off or empty the extension .tab is given to vdffile. savelist is a list of variables that should be extracted from the dataset (See Preparing, Using and Exporting Data for more information). If savelist is left of or empty then the values for all variables are converted.
| ! | causes the Time axis to be suppressed from the output. |
| + | appends to rather than overwrites the target. |
| , | (comma) changes the format to .csv |
| [ | causes subscript names to appear in separate column or row (note: this should normally be used) |
| E | causes numbers to be formatted in European style (period for 000 separator and comma for decimal mark) |
| C | suppresses export of constants |
| D | suppresses export of dynamic variables |
| X | suppresses export of exogenous variables (data), which may have a different time axis |
frequency, start, and end, if included determine the time range that will be exported.
codepage, if specified, determines the character encoding to use for the output. The default is UTF8 (65001). Use 0 to use the native ANSII encoding for the computer you are working with (usually 1252 ANSII Latin 1 for English and Western European languages).
If you want to add extra columns (for example with the run name) then after the final option use a colon : followed by the text you want to appear in the column. Use an exclamation point ! to include the current run name. Extra columns will be added just before the Time and Value columns. Note that the :Extra sequence must be at the very end. To add multiple extra columns use a \t to separate them as in:
MENU>VDF2DLIST|!|!||||||:!\tModel7
You do not need to include all potential arguments, or even separators for them. A : at any point will be recognized as the beginning of the Extra information. Everything that follows will be treated
