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Import Projects

With Import Projects you can quickly run one or more data imports.

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For example, you might have a number of pricing files from various suppliers. Perhaps each supplier's data is supplied in a different format: Supplier A provides a spreadsheet; Supplier B provides a spreadsheet with different columns; Supplier C provides a csv file, and so on. You will need to initially set up an Import Style for each supplier, and then those Import Styles can all be gathered into one Import Project. Then when you are ready to update all the prices, you just need to run that Import Project.

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There are a couple of things to watch out for ...

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1. Format of the import file

If the format of the import file changes (eg a column is added or deleted), this could mess up the import. So you need to ensure that the format is the same for each import, every time.

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2. Name and location of the import file

Each import file is specified in the Import Stylesheet, so CatBase will always look for a file with a specific name, in a specific location. If a specified import file cannot be found, you'll get an error message when you try to run the Import Project. (See the Troubleshooting section, below).

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Setting up an Import Project

  1. Set up at least one Import Style.

  2. Go to the Projects main tab.

  3. Expand the Import Projects topic on the left of the window.

  4. Click New Import Project.

new Import Project

  1. Enter a Name for the new Import Project.

  2. Optionally enter a Description (this is for your reference only - it isn't used by CatBase).

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Run a script before importing

We can write scripts to perform any pre-processing functions you require. Contact us for more info about custom scripts.

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Adding Steps to your Import Project

You must set up at least one Project Step for each Import Project.

Each Project Step will run one Import Style.

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Click the Add a new Step button.

Import Project Step

  1. Enter a name for this Project Step.

  2. Optionally enter a brief Description.

  3. Click on the dropdown menu and choose the Import Style you want to use.

  4. You can click the Import now button to run the selected Import Style immediately.

  5. Save the Project Step.

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When you've added a few Steps, your Import Project might look something like this:

CatBase Import Project

Running an Import Project

When you're ready to execute this Project, simply:

  1. Open the required Import Project

  2. Click Run this Project now.

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Troubleshooting

"Could not run the Project Step xxxxxxxx"

CatBase could not run the specified Import Style, most likely because the import file has been moved or deleted. To resolve this:

  1. Double-click the specified Project Step to open it.

  2. Note the name of the select Import Stylesheet.

  3. Open the specified Import Stylesheet. It will be under one of your data tables; expand the Import topic on the left of the window to view the Import Styles for the selected data table.

  4. You will see the name and location of the selected import file in the Import File area:

import-file-selected.png

Note: the View button may not be present if you have an older version of CatBase.

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Click the View button to open the disk location of the specified file. If it can't be found, CatBase will tell you so. You will need to click the Select button to choose the new import file. Be sure to check the Sample Import Data area to make sure that the new file is correctly mapped to the CatBase fields! 

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Note: If you need to find out exactly where the file was previously located, got to the Updates tab. On that page you will see when the file was last updated, and the full pathname to that file.

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