Once you’ve chosen an input file, you must either select a format to use from the Format Name drop-down menu, or create a new format. This format will tell BatchPro where to look in your input file for the route origin and destination data. 

BatchPro comes with standard formats for input files that contain data in postal code, city/state, Canadian Postal Code (data add-on required), SPLC (data add-on required), and latitude/longitude forms, as well as input files created by using Save Route in PC*MILER. 

To Create a Custom Format

1. Click on Edit Format.

2. In the Input File Format window, BatchPro displays the first four lines of your selected input file. Use the numbered row at the top to see at which columns the origin and destination data begin and end. 

3. The Origin Start Position number tells BatchPro which column of each line will contain the first character of the origin information; the Destination Start Position number gives the column where the destination information will begin. The Origin End Position number tells BatchPro the maximum endpoint that any origin name can have; the Destination End Position number gives the maximum endpoint.

4. To prevent the appearance of truncated city names in reports, type the number of city name characters to allow in reports in the box under Length of city names in .MIL reports. The default length is 40.

5. If you know that you’ll want to use the same format again, you might want to save the format. To do this, click New. At the prompt, type a name for your format and then click OK. In the future, you’ll be able to select this saved format from the Format Name drop-down in the main BatchPro window.

6. Click Save to save your input and exit the Input File Format window. To cancel without saving your input, click Close.