Spectra Precision Survey Pro v4.5 Ranger User Manual - Manual (Page 43)

Getting Started
33
Description Files
A Description File is used to automate the task of entering
descriptions for points that are stored in a job. They are especially
useful when the same descriptions are frequently used in the same
job.
A description file is a text file containing a list of the descriptions that
you will want to use with a particular job. The file itself is usually
created on a PC, using any ASCII text editor such as Notepad, which
is included with Microsoft Windows. It is then saved using any file
name and the .txt extension and then transferred to the Data
Collector.
It is important to realize that when you use a more sophisticated
application, such as a word processor to create a description file, you
must be careful how the file is saved. By default, a word processor
will store additional non-ASCII data in a file making it incompatible
as a description file. However this can be avoided if you use the File >
Save As… routine from your word processor and choose a Text Only
format as the type of document to save. For more information on
creating a text file using a word processor, refer to your word
processor’s documentation.
Description files can be created in two different formats; one includes
codes and the other does not. The chosen format determines how
descriptions are entered. Each format is described below.
Description Files without Codes
A description file that does not contain codes is
simply a list of the descriptions that you will want to
use in a job. The content of a sample description file,
without codes, is shown here.
The following rules apply to description files without
codes:
• Each line in the file contains a separate description.
• A description can be up to 16 characters in length (including
spaces).