IMPORTANT! Before you start importing information into a Cumulus catalog using the Cumulus Importer utility, make sure that a safety copy of the catalog exists. There is no UNDO function for the import available. You can only roll back to the initial version of the catalog if there is safety copy available that you can open instead of the changed catalog.
To set up an Import Configuration Set and run an import process:
1. Open the Cumulus catalog, to which you want to import the information.
2. Select File > Import > From Text/CSV File. The Select Import Configuration window is displayed.
3. Choose whether you want to create a new set or load an existing one. To select an existing one, open the drop-down list of available sets.
4. Click Next.
5. If you have decided to load an existing set, continue with step 7.
If you are creating a new set, the Select Import Destination window is displayed.
For information on the different types see above.
6. Select the destination and click Next. The Select Import File window is displayed.
7. Specify the import file, the delimiter character used, the encoding type and the region:
• File Choose the file you want to import the data from. Use the button to browse for the file.
• Delimiter A lot of database systems use the tabulator as the field delimiter (even Cumulus while exporting data from a catalog). If your import file uses another character as separator, you can choose or enter another delimiter.
• Character Encoding Select the character encoding of the import file.
• Region Select the region used for date/time values and numbers in the import file if it is different from the application’s region setting. Otherwise, date/time values and numbers may not be imported properly.
The results of your settings are displayed in the Data Preview list which provides two columns:
• Import Field Identifier Lists the field identifiers from the chosen import file as interpreted using the defined delimiter.
• Import Field Value Displays what the values of a field will look like. Use the arrow buttons to page through the data.
8. If this is how you want to import the data, click Next.
In any case you, have to add entries for the fields to be imported. Use the Add button to do so. Use the Remove button to remove entries for fields.
If no more configurations are required, a Start button is displayed.
NOTE: Now you can save your Import Configuration set for the data import in an import scheme file by clicking the Save as button. This set holds information about the field assignments, the name of the import file and the appropriate delimiters.
9. Click Start. The data will be imported.
Import to Category Tree
To import data as categories to the Category Tree of a Cumulus catalog, you must specify the import field which holds the data to be imported as categories and the hierarchy level where you want the categories to be inserted.
• Delimiter for Category Hierarchy By default, Cumulus uses a colon as separator for indicating the levels in the category hierarchy. If your import file uses a different character, enter the appropriate delimiter.
• Skip First Line Often the first line of the import file does not contain information that you want to import (e.g. column headings). Activating this option prevents the import of the data of the first line.
• Import Field Pattern Preview Displays how the data will be imported.
• Parent Category Displays the category to which the data from the import field will go as subcategories. See below on how to define the parent categories.
• Import Field Pattern Lists the fields from which the values should be imported as categories. You can insert additional information by clicking in the field’s entry in this column (see Definition of Additional Information). To import data from more than one field, use a right/alternate mouse click in a field’s entry in this column to get a list for selecting additional fields.
To add field entries, click Add. This displays a dialog that lets you:
• Determine a parent category. You can import the categories as subcategories of a specific category. Determine this category either by entering the category hierarchy data for the parent category, or by using the currently selected category in the category pane. When entering the category hierarchy data you must use the displayed delimiter.
• Select the field that contains the values to be imported as categories
To add the selected field to the selection of Import Fields, click OK. This brings you back to the main dialog.
Import to Records/Categories
To import data into a record field of the Cumulus catalog, you must define a relation between the import text file and the Cumulus catalog by specifying one or more relations. In most cases, it will be the Asset Name to determine the record and in addition to that multiple relations that determine from which import field the data should be imported to which Cumulus field.)
NOTE: You can assign fields of the import file to the Cumulus record field Categories. Then the affected Cumulus records will be assigned to these categories.
To import information into category fields of the Cumulus catalog, you must define a relation between a category field and the field of the import file. The procedure is identical to the procedure necessary when importing information into record fields.
• Skip First Line Often the first line of the import file does not contain information that you want to import (e.g., column headings). Activating this option prevents the import of the data of the first line.
• Create new records/categories for lines that do not correspond to existing records/categories. Activating this option initiates the creation of a new record (without a related asset) or a new category for each line in the import file that does not correspond to an already existing record/category.
• Import Field Pattern Preview Displays how the data will be imported.
• Import Field Pattern Lists the fields from which the values should be imported. You can insert additional information by clicking in the field’s entry in this column (see Definition of Additional Information). To import data from more than one field, use a right/alternate mouse click in the field’s entry in this column to get a list for selecting additional fields.
• Relation If you want to import data into a record or category field of the Cumulus catalog, you have to specify relations between the field of the import file and the Cumulus field. Two different relation types can be specified = (equals) – The Cumulus Importer will only import the data if the value of the Cumulus field is equal to the value of the Import Field. This relation type is used to perform the search for the appropriate records. -> (insert) – The Cumulus Importer will import the data of the Import field specified in the left hand column to the Cumulus field specified in the right hand column.
NOTE: If you import data without identifying corresponding records by a = (equals) relation, the Cumulus Importer utility will create new records that are not assigned to assets. You may do so if, for example, you want to import metadata for assets that are not cataloged yet. Corresponding assets can be assigned to the records later.
• Cumulus Field Lists the Cumulus fields into which the data of the import fields shall be imported. Whenever a new Import Field entry is added, this column shows the first of the available Cumulus fields (record or category field – depending on the destination type you have chosen for the Import Configuration set.) Click this entry to select the desired Cumulus Field.
• Fill Mode Displays how the field will be filled. For String fields, you can define whether the imported value shall replace the existing value, or shall be added to the existing value (before or after.) Click the field’s entry to select the desired mode.
Only if you are importing data to the Categories field of records (to assign records to categories), you must determine the delimiter that is used to separate the category levels.
To add field entries, click the Add button. This displays a dialog that lets you select the field that contains the metadata to be imported.
To add the selected field to the selection of Import Fields, click OK. This brings you back to the main dialog.
NOTE: Importing multiple values into Multi-Select String List fields The CSV import also supports multiple string list field values. The respective values in the CSV file must be separated with commas.
Import to String List Fields
To import data as values of a string list field of the Cumulus catalog, you must specify the assignments between the import fields and the Cumulus string list fields (target fields).
The Cumulus Importer is able to fill the fields with different languages.
• Skip First Line Often the first line of the import file contains information that you don’t want to import (e.g., column headings). Activating this option prevents the import of the data of the first line.
• Import Field Pattern Preview Displays how the data will be imported.
• Import Field Pattern Lists the fields from which the values shall be imported. You can insert additional information by clicking in a field’s entry in this column (see Definition of Additional Information). If you want to import data from more than one field, use a right/alternate mouse click in a field’s entry to get a list for selecting additional fields.
• Relation Two different relation types are available -> (insert) – The Cumulus Importer creates a new string list entry in the target field specified in the right hand column and writes the values (several languages) of the Import field to this new entry. = (equals) – This relation is used to control the import process and must be used only once in any import set. The Cumulus Importer checks whether the value of the import field equals the value of an existing list entry (in the specified language) of the target field.
• If yes, the found existing string list entry is processed and the values specified in the other rows of the import set are written to the specified languages of the target field list entries. – Note that in these rows, the Relation must be set to “->”!
• If no, the “=” relation is treated as insert (“->”), and a new string list entry is created in the target field.
• Cumulus Field The target fields into which the data shall be imported. Whenever a new row for an Import Field entry is added, this column shows the first of the available Cumulus fields. Click this entry to select the desired target field.
• Language The language-specific values of the target field that shall be replaced with the values from the import field.
To add more field entries, click the Add button. A dialog is displayed that lets you select a field containing the values to be imported.
To add the selected field to the selection of Import Fields, click OK. This brings you back to the main dialog.
button to browse for the file.