How to export data from a Lotus Notes database to a CSV file

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This Lotus Notes Domino agent will export all of the data in a Lotus Notes database into CSV (comma separated values) files that can in turn be imported into Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, SQL (structured query language) and most other platforms.
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Tip: A flexible data export agent for Lotus Notes

Lotus Notes Domino Agent Reference Center

It will produce one CSV file for each form in the Lotus Notes database. The CSV file will contain data for each of the fields on the form from any document in the database using that form. It can easily be modified to export Lotus Notes data from a single form. 

Sub Initialize
Dim session As New NotesSession
Dim db As NotesDatabase
Dim fileName As String
Dim fileNum As Integer
Dim headerstring As String
Dim values As String
Dim selection As String
Dim collection As NotesDocumentCollection
Dim doc As notesdocument

On Error Resume Next

Set db = session.CurrentDatabase

Forall form In db.Forms
If Isempty(form.Fields) Then
Messagebox form.Name & " has no fields"
Else
fieldCount = 0
msgString = ""
fileNum% = Freefile()
fileName$ = "c:" & form.Name & ".csv"
Open FileName$ For Output As fileNum%
   
Forall field In form.Fields
msgString = msgString & Chr(10) & _
"     " & field
fieldCount = fieldCount + 1  
headerstring=headerstring & |"| &field &|",| 
End Forall
 
Write #fileNum%,  |",| & headerstring & |"|
headerstring=""
End If
 
selection = |Form="| & form.Name & |"|  
Set collection=db.Search(selection, Nothing, 0)
 
For x = 1 To collection.count
Set doc =collection.GetNthDocument(x)
values=""
Forall formfield In form.Fields
newvalue=doc.GetItemValue(formfield)
values=values & |"| & newvalue(0) & |",| 
End Forall
   
Write #fileNum%,  |",| & values &|"|
values=""
Next

Close fileNum%
End Forall
 
End Sub

MEMBER FEEDBACK TO THIS TIP

I've made two changes to this code:

  1. I've added "\" after the c: in fileName$ string (on or about line 23).

  2. I've added support for forms that have aliases.
My corrected version of the code follows. This was a good snippet once I got those things sorted out. 
Sub Initialize
                
Dim session As New NotesSession
Dim db As NotesDatabase
Dim fileName As String
Dim fileNum As Integer
Dim headerstring As String
Dim values As String
Dim selection As String
Dim collection As 
NotesDocumentCollection
Dim doc As notesdocument
                
On Error Resume Next
                
Set db = session.CurrentDatabase
                
Forall form In db.Forms
If Isempty(form.Fields) Then
Messagebox form.Name & " has no fields"
Else
fieldCount = 0
msgString = ""
fileNum% = Freefile()
fileName$ = 
"c:\test\export\" & 
form.Name & ".csv"
Open FileName$ For Output As fileNum%

Forall field In form.Fields
msgString = msgString & Chr(10) & _
  "     " & field
fieldCount = fieldCount + 1  
headerstring=headerstring & |"| &field &|",| 
End Forall
                                                
Write #fileNum%,  |",| & headerstring & |"|
headerstring=""
End If
                                
selection = |Form="| & form.Name & |"|  
Set collection=db.Search(selection, 
Nothing, 0)
                                
For x = 1 To collection.count
Set doc =collection.GetNthDocument(x)
values=""
Forall formfield In form.Fields
newvalue=doc.GetItemValue(formfield)
values=values & |"| & newvalue(0) & |",| 
End Forall
                                                
Write #fileNum%,  |",| & values &|"|
values=""
Next

'now check aliases
If Isempty(form.Aliases) Then
'Messagebox form.Name & " has no aliases"
Else
Forall aliaz In form.Aliases
If aliaz = form.Name Then
Msgbox aliaz + " is same as " + form.Name
Goto NextAliaz   'alias is same as form name
End If
selection = |Form="| & aliaz & |"|  
Set collection=db.Search(selection, Nothing, 0)
 
For x = 1 To collection.count
Set doc =collection.GetNthDocument(x)
values=""
Forall formfield In form.Fields
newvalue=doc.GetItemValue(formfield)
values=values & |"| & newvalue(0) & |",| 
End Forall
              
Write #fileNum%,  |",| & values &|"|
values=""
NextAliaz:
Next
End Forall
End If

Close fileNum%
End Forall
                
End Sub

—John P.

******************************************

For this code to work, the form name shouldn't have any aliases.
—Karel Y.

******************************************

This is a great tip! I'm new to Lotus Notes/Domino, but I still have to deal with installation, development and administration stuff. This code saved me a lot of work. Thanks for sharing!
—Osberto J.

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This was first published in November 2007

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