Back to MolgenisGuide

= Extract MOLGENIS model from existing database =
There is legacy of existing databases, which you may inherit or get your hands on via SQL dumps/TEXT downloads. Below we will first generate a MOLGENIS for an existing database by automatically extracting the MOLGENIS data model from it. Second you will learn how to batch-load existing data sets from delimited text files.

== Generating a MOLGENIS for an existing database ==
 1. Edit the database connection settings in the `molgenis.properties` file to refer to an existing database. See !MolgenisPropertiesFile. In this example it is assumed you connect to the Address Book database from the !AddressBookExample. Alternatively you can download a database dump of your choice or connect to a remote database (assuming proper DatabasePermissions).
 1. Run !handwritten/java/!MolgenisExtractModel.java. The extraction tool will connect to your selected database and extract a model from its table structure. An example output for the Address Book Application
 1. Copy-paste the parts of XML you want to use in your *_db.xml file. Then add a suitable *_ui.xml. Then adapt the `molgenis.properties` file accordingly and generate,compile,run to view the results.

[[Image(extractfromexisting.gif)]]