The Import Wizard allows you to bring Vendor, Manufacturer, Depreciation Class, Asset Type, Department, Site, Location, Asset, Customer and Employee data into the tables (Information you enter into each field in Rosistem Assets is stored in a database "table" behind the scenes. You can extract this information using the Export Wizard.) in your database from external sources you already possess. This software does not support direct importation of data from other databases. It imports data from .CSV or .TXT files only. As this function is in a wizard form, the screens will guide you through each step of the export process.
What is a .csv file?
This is a type of data format in which each piece of data is separated by a comma. This is a popular format for transferring data from one application to another, because most database systems are able to import and export comma-delimited data. When data is represented in comma-delimited format they also are referred to as comma-separated values, abbreviated CSV.
Please study the Import Strategy topic before proceeding.
1.To access the Import Wizard, from the Main screen, select Administration > Import/Export > Import Wizard. The Import Wizard screen shown below appears:
It is from this screen that you can start the process of Importing data into Rosistem Assets's tables.
Example of an Import to the Asset table:
As discussed in the Import Strategy topic, data imported to the Asset table must be preceded by the creation of Site, Location, and Asset Type data (and, if depreciation is to be calculated for one or more Asset Types, by creation of Depreciation Class records - which must be done before importing Asset Type data.)
1.Having previously populated the database with Site, Location, Depreciation Class and Asset Type data, in that sequence, proceed with importing information to the Asset table.
2.Select an import file for the Asset table by browsing to a .csv or .txt file that contains Asset data and selecting Asset from the To table dropdown list.
You can only import from a text (.txt or .csv file).
If your data normally resides in a different data format, you must first use your database software's File > Export or File > Save As function to translate the data to a .csv or .txt file. See the Import Strategy topic.
You must strip out all currency symbols, including (but not limited to) these examples: $, ¢, ¥, £, §, or ¤, if you are about to import them into a numeric field, such as Purchase Cost, Salvage Value, etc. They are permissible in text fields.
Commas, sometimes used as "thousands" separators, should be removed from numeric fields. Commas are permissible in text fields only when residing within a pair of double quotes, which will cause them to be treated as normal text, not as field delimiters.
3.Step 2 of the wizard allows you to specify how you want your information broken up in the export file. This is called the Field Delimiter. Make your selection from the Field Delimiter drop down list, then select the checkbox if you want to include field names in the first row of your export file. Select the First row contains column headings option only if the first record of the file you are importing does not contain actual data. The software cannot remove subtotals, section headers, nor any other records within the file that do not match the format of the actual data records. These must be removed before you attempt the import.
The Preview of data from table grid displays the information using the selected delimiter, as shown below. If all the data is in one column of the preview pane, you have not selected the right Delimiter.
4.Next, the Field Mapping screen appears. This screen allows you to associate columns in your imported data file with corresponding fields in the table into which you are importing the data. Depending on the contents of your original database, not every column in your imported data needs to be mapped to a corresponding field in the software. The object is to bring over at least the required fields and any others that may be of use.
Note: Your .csv or .txt file may have column headers with names that do not exactly match field names the way this example data does. By mapping the imported data's columns to each table's columns, any difference in field names can be accommodated.
Select the appropriate Map To field names by clicking on a field in the Import Data Column, then selecting from the resulting drop down list, then click Next to continue.
5.When all the required fields have been mapped correctly, click Finish. A confirmation message will appear when the file has imported correctly.
Click OK and then Close to exit the Import Wizard.
You can confirm that the data imported correctly by checking the List screens (From the Main screen, click List Forms > < list screen name>.