I have a flat file exported from a database in what was supposed to be .CSV but I am not sure if it really is. I have posted an example of a help desk ticket this file contains. There are about 7000 tickets in one file in the same format as a long list (flat file).
I want a Perl script or something (I am just learning PERL, knowing that it will be my number one administration tool someday when I have learned it) that will look through the file and do this; Take the field names listed below:

Request Number
Affected User
Reported By
Assignee
Request Area
Open Date
Description
History (this one needs to be some kind of format that allows the capture of all the data under it, like memo does in access.

And either make a database or insert it into an Access Table in an Access Database, and also insert the data following each field, as the value of the field, and make it as one record by Request Number.

I imagine there are many ways to do this, but I cannot do it with things like importing into Access, it just does not have the ability to delimit it based on the : character which I already tried.

From What I hear about Perl is that it can do this for me.

Can someone show me the script that I can use or send me to the right rescource that matches this type of example the closest. I am being diligent to try and learn myself but I have been reading books for the past two days and I am not sure yet where to start.
Thanks for your help.
Here it the format of the file. If you clip and paste it in notepad or some other text editor it might be more exact.
As Of: 01 +/22/2004 Requests Request Number: 262944 Parent : Prio +rity:4-Med Status: Closed Active :No Affected User: Smith, Jane Impa +ct :None Reported By: Doe, John Template: Urge +ncy : Assignee: Doe, Jane SLA Violation:0 Seve +rity: Group Asgd. To: IT-Group Service :Empty + Change: Request Area: Acc-Grp Root Cause: Affected Asset: ChargeBack: Open Date: 12/31/2002 Close Date:1/03/2003 Resolve Date: Time Spent:0 days 0 hours 1 + minutes Last Modified: 3/27/2003 End User ID: Phone Number: 3363 Alt Phone : + Fax Number: Timezone : + Summary: EMAIL I need authorization to XXX. That's a letter o +not... Description: EMAIL I need authorization to XXX. That's a letter o +not a number zero. + + (email) Sorry, I need this in TST and/or DEV + History Analyst Date Time Spent Type ---------------------------------------------------------------------- +---------- Doe, John 12/31/2002 0 minutes 47 seconds Initial Desc:create a new request/change order + Doe, John 12/31/2002 0 minutes 5 seconds Log Comment Desc:(email) OK + Doe, John 12/31/2002 0 minutes 7 seconds Close Reques +t/Change Order + Desc:(email) Jane, the change should take effect the + next time you log on. + + + You may close this ticket. + Doe, John 1/02/2003 0 minutes 4 seconds Log Comment Desc:(email) It is not working + Doe, John 1/02/2003 0 minutes 0 seconds Reopen Desc:Status changed from 'Closed' to 'Open'

In reply to Extracting data from a flat file and inserting it into a databas by scribefaith

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