Importing Records

Support
1

At the moment if I wanted to import existing data into a new account, one that I’ve set up as a Ragic Partner, (importing into a template design of mine). I would need to delete and replace with new (free text field) any “select from other sheet” fields that I would like to import into, as the field “type” cannot be changed.

Guys>>>>>>>>>>> Is there another way of doing this? I am getting it right here? I was wondering…

Anyway, I can work around the fact that the field type on those 'select from other sheet" fields can’t have their field type changed. For the cases when it’s a new account that requires importing data.

I hope to get this ironed out (the whole importing data procedure) for the real-estate template design of mine www.ragic.com/housedbdemo

I also use the same design every day for my family’s business, but probably won’t need uploading any data into that account www.ragic.com/househunters

But say I did, or should one of the new account that I hope to create, suppose later on they require importing data…at a later stage.

The initial importing I could do for them, and so use the work around mentioned, but in the case of the accounts that I create and set up, if they were to require importing of data at a later date, the process may not be clear to see, in other words the “customer” could unknowingly fall into trouble, not knowing that the fields need to be deleted and replaced, and the initial data removed and re-imported…

That’s my thought son this one guys, I would not mind hearing what you guys think?

I don’t know how important you may think this is, or even if it can be fixed in the first place, but as I ma learning still I may not yet understand that anything I possible when it comes to programming business intelligence, something that I know those at Ragic profess to as well.

Maybe I’m wrong here, and you cannot and should not be able to change the field type to “free text” for those “select from other sheet fields” for the initial importing of data, where in my example, I would like to then run a temporary link and load, in fact, to the same sheet that I was going to and intend to later use as the “select from another sheet” field again.

If you would like to have a look the sheet is the Property’s: Owner and Contacts sheet https://www.ragic.com/housedbdemo/properties/67

With a temp link and load from the Contacts sheet below (after having imported corresponding “new” data into both sheets) https://www.ragic.com/housedbdemo/properties/70

2

Hi Kane,

Select from other sheet is a linked field of link & load, the field type is locked to prevent users from changing the field type while it’s linked with other sheet that may cause some issues, e.g. losing data.
But if you would still like to remove the link, you can still configure it through link & load.

However, if this field is intended to be a “select from other sheet” field type (linked field) in the end, I would not suggest you to remove the link and change it to free text in order to import data.
You can still import the data to this field while it’s a “select from other sheet field”, just make sure you have first create / import the data to the linked source sheet (in order to create the select list), so that when you import to this field, system can map / link the data correctly.
(If you first import to a free text field, then change it to a select from other sheet field type, you may face the same issue for losing data if there’s no linkable entries.)

3

Thanks Amy,

Sounds like this will work for importing data into the listings, land, building and MKTG unit records in my db, with the Property Database records (being select from other sheet). But in the case of importing CONTACTS into the Property Owner & Contacts sheet, well the contacts records is unlike the Property Database Records in that when Property Database records are set as “select from other sheet” it’s a ref number that unique, but as I’m trying to mention here, in the case of importing contacts into the Property Owner & Contacts it’s a person’s name to be set to “select from other sheet” and it’s not really a unique value, so I don’t think it will work in that case though. What do you think?

Thanks for your help, much appreciated!

Kane

4

I you might be busy,

I just tested it, and it worked! I imported first some properties into the demo account and then some listings, and the “select from other sheet” field; property ref # linked correctly after import. I thought that one would work like I said…

But then I just, just then, imported one contact, then one Property Owners & Contacts record, a corresponding one of course, and that worked, the link loaded despite it being a static record imported, I guess like you said it mapped and found the record, as it was displayed prominently when I hovered over the field.

However like I said, I expect that if my contact records had any duplicates I would surely fall into trouble. So I won’t be doing that. If you have any other thought son this, I won’t mind hearing!

Thanks again for your help, I am so thrilled I am able to get this done now, no problem. I was even worried that later imports/ additions to the existing database, would not be able to work as smoothly as I now see that it can! Providing that there are no duplicated like in my case with my CONTACTS sheet!

Laters

5

I just though of a suitable work around for using data with duplicated, and it’s probably worth mentioning.
So here goes, I can simply remove any duplicates before import and then enter them individually if you will, manually, in the correct record. But then again, I just tested, you can import the contacts with duplicates, but give the databases other sheet, the Property’s Owners & Contacts sheet its ref#, the Property Owners & Contacts ref#, to the Contacts sheet before importing (it would need to be extracted after import) Add a new field, to accept the new ref#.
Once this is done, it would no longer matter if the data is a duplicate anymore, as it would have a unique ref# now. Then simply link and load the contact using the ref# added (previous link and load will have to be removed, temporarily)

Good luck!

6

Hi Kane,

In database, it’s always suggested to give all sheets a key field (with value that identifies each records unique). And you will need to use the key field to link sheets or to import to update records.

For detailed information regarding preparing your import files, please refer to: