New import process

Importing Data

Importing is the process of acquiring data produced by another application. The ability to import data is essential in software applications because it means that one application can complement another.

In eDirectory, the import feature is used by the Site Manager when he/she wants to get some data from his/her local PC and bring them inside his/her account. Normally, these files are in Microsoft Excel format and contain a series of listings. The import process can save the sitemgr significant time compared to adding each listing into the system manually one by one.

For a file to be imported in to eDirectory, it needs to be in CSV format. CSV (short for Comma Separated Values) is a common and simple file format that is often used for moving tabular data between a database and a spreadsheet application.

The creation of the initial .csv file can be a bit complex, however, we will teach you some techniques on how to create and import one. Please follow the instructions below.

To create a CSV file, do the following:

1. In the left navigation panel, click on the Data Management menu and after that, click on Import sub-menu. After doing this, a page will appear like the one shown below:
2. Click on the Download the CSV template button. Then, save the file to your local PC.



The sample file is necessary because it comes preformatted to fit your directory as well as already being in .csv format.  Editing the sample file is the method that we advise you to use because it will save you time and help avoid formatting errors.

3. Open the file in a spreadsheet application (preferably MS Excel).
4. Do the necessary changes in the file. Please note the five following hints to help with proper formatting of the file:
   • Do      not add any new columns to the spreadsheet
   • Do      not remove any columns from the spreadsheet
   • Do      not change any of the header titles that you see in row #1
   • It      is okay to leave cells blank for which you do not have information for
   • The      only required fields to get the import file to properly run are Listing      Title and Category.
5. Once you are done editing the file, save it and prepare yourself for the next procedure.

Before you perform the import process, it is recommended you review and adjust the Import Settings, as necessary, first. Why? Through the settings, you can pre-set the properties (e.g., Status, Level and Owner) of the listings that you will import.

To change the Import Settings, do the following:

1. In the left navigation panel, click on the Data Management menu.
2. Then, click on the Import Settings sub-menu. After doing this, a form will appear like the one shown below:



3. The  import file comes from export section option should only be enabled if you  exported the data from your edirectory and want to re-import them into the  system.
4. To auto-activate the listings that you  will be importing: Check the Enable all  imported listings as Active option. We recommend using this option if you  want the imported listings to be visible in the directory front right away  after the import process.
5. Update  listings alike option allows you to update existent listings in your  eDirectory system. If this option is enabled, the listings that already exist in your system will be updated instead of a duplicate listing being  created. For that, the fields Listing ID and Legacy ID in your CSV file must match with the values in your eDirectory and the field Updated Date must be  higher than the actual value in the system. If your CSV file comes from Export Section,  these fields will be filled with the values in your eDirectory. If your data  comes from other resource, you can fill the Legacy ID column with the IDs from  this system for future reference.
6. The Start  import automatically after upload CSV file option is useful when you do not  want to approve any import process after upload the CSV file.
7. You should enable Import all new categories as featured option if you want all the  imported categories to be featured categories.
8. To set a level for those listings that  do not have it in the CSV file you should select the level (e.g., Free, Basic,  etc.) in the dropdown list provided in the Default level for imported listings without level option.
9. To set an owner for those listings that  do not have it in the CSV file:
   1. Check the  Import listings to the same account option.
   2. In the Account box, type the Company or  E-mail of  the Member. Then, click on the Search button.
   3. Choose  the Member by clicking on the Select button.
10. Click on the Submit button.

To import the CSV file, do the following:

1. In the left navigation panel, click on the Data Management menu. After doing this, click on the Import sub-menu and then click on Import a file button. Look for the area shown below:



2. Click on the Browse button to select the CSV file that you saved earlier on your local PC.
3. After this, a preview of your file will be shown and you will be able to check if everything is ok before import.



4. Through the preview, you will be able to check if your file is in the appropriate format to be imported. You can use special separators different of recommended which is comma, however, if you use one of those special separators, check the Custom option and enter the separator used. Your file should appear in the preview the same way as a comma-separated file appears: in columns.
5. After verifying the file, click on the Import button.

After import process, you will be redirected to Import Log sub-menu. A page will appear  like the one shown below:

You can have the following status after importing a file:

• If the Status of the file that you imported is Pending, it means that the application is still processing the import;
• If it’s Error, a mistake has occurred during the import process that made it impossible to import the file or the file configuration is wrong;
• If it’s Stopped means that you stop the import process before the completion of the import process;
• If it’s Cancelled, means that you performed a rollback of the imported file;
• If it’s Finished, it means that the items contained in the file have been added successfully in the system.

You can also import a file directly from a FTP. For this, in the left navigation panel, click on the Data Management menu and then click on Import
sub-menu. After that, click on Import a file button and choose the Select File by FTP tab.

A list of files available for import will be displayed and you can select which one to import. If the file contains more than 100,000 lines, a task is scheduled to prepare the file to import. Subsequently, the file will be imported. The process can take several minutes depending on the size of the selected file.

After select a file, the process is the same shown above for import without using FTP.