Importing Data

The program allows you to import data from various types of sources.

Data sources are described in the External Data Sources catalog. You can add or change sources using the catalog. To open External Data Sources catalog go to Menu > Catalogs > External Data Sources.

When importing, the settings of the selected data source are used.

Normal import (step by step)

In the Label Printing section, Product Catalog section or in any catalog, click the Import button. The data import window will open.

Importing data consists of 2 steps:

Reading data from a source. The data from the source will be placed in the temporary table Data for Import .
Importing data. The data from the temporary table Data for Import will be added to:
- Print Data, if import was opened in the Label Printing section.
- Product Catalog, if import was opened in the Product Catalog section.
- Catalog if import was opened in any catalog.

Step 1 - Reading data from a source

Go to the tab 1 Step - Read Data from Source.
Select the data source.
1. Click on the Data Source field.
2. The external data source selection window opens. Select the data source and click Select this External Data Source.
Click Read Data from Source.

If the source is a file and the file is not specified in the import settings, a file selection window will open.

Step 2 - Importing data

Go to the tab 2 Step - Import Data (after reading the data, this tab will be opened automatically).

The Data for Import table is the temporary table containing the data read from the source.
Determine from which row for what data are located that will be imported, and set the first and last rows of this range:
Bind columns with data fields.
1. Click on the settings icon in the header of the required column.
2. A form for selecting a data field that will be bound with this column will open.
  
  Select the data field to be bound with this column 1 and click OK.
  
  For columns that do not participate in the import, click 2 Don't import this column.
  
  If you have not found a data field that suits you, you can add your own data field 3 (available when importing into the Print Data).
If you need to set the number of labels for each product (default 1) from your data, then bind the column containing the number of labels to the data field Number of labels to print.
Click Import Data .

The data from the temporary table will be added to the Print Data, Product Catalog or catalog, depending on where the Import button was clicked.

Refresh data

If the import was made in the Print Data, then the program remembers the parameters of this import and then you can repeat the import with one click of the Refresh data button.

This is useful if you have a single import source, such as an Excel file, and when you change it, you can quickly load the changed data with a single click of this button.

One-Click Import

This feature allows you to automatically import data at the click of a Import button.

Preconfiguration

Make the necessary data source settings.

Open catalog External Data Sources via Menu > Catalogs > External Data Sources, select the desired data source and click Edit.
Set all the necessary import settings.

An example of setting up import from an Excel file

An example of setting up import from an Excel file that has a row with headers (names) columns. The line with headers is the first in the table, the rest of the lines are data.

Set the file path.
Set the headers row number and the first data row number.
Bind the data fields to the columns in the file according to the names of the headers in the first row.

Import

Before doing one-click import, do the following:

Click the button 1 to the right of the Import button.
Select the data source you want 2.
Set flag 3 One-click import .

This is a one-time setting that allows you to import automatically without opening the import window.

Import with one click of the Import button.

Import Settings

To change import settings, do one of the following:

Click Import Settings if you have a data import window open.
Open catalog External Data Sources via Menu > Catalogs > External Data Sources and select the desired data source and click Edit.

The data source settings window will open. Settings are grouped into several tabs.

Data Read

Connection

Here you can configure the connection to the data source. The contents of the tab may vary depending on the type of source.

Purpose of settings:

File Path or Database Path. Path to the data file. If left blank, the file selection dialog will be displayed.
SQL Query. To select certain data from a database.
User name, Password. For authorization in the database.
Connection String. To connect to an ODBC source.
Authorization Token. For authorization in EposNow.

Reading

Here you can configure data reading options. The contents of the tab may vary depending on the type of source.

Purpose of settings:

Headers Row. The number of the row in which the headers are located. 0 - no headers.
First row with data. Row number at which the data begins. 0 - automatic detection.
Sheet number. The sheet number of the spreadsheet. 0 - a sheet selection window will be displayed if there are several sheets in the spreadsheet.
File Encoding. Text encoding in the data file.
Field Delimiter. When reading from a source of type CSV.
Text Delimiter. When reading from a source with type CSV.
Data Read Actions.
- Bind data fields to columns by keywords. If the flag is set, then data fields will be automatically bound to columns of the imported data by coincidence with the keywords. Keywords are defined on the Data fields tab. Ignored if a direct binding to columns is specified on the Data fields tab.
- Determine the range of rows. If the flag is set, the range of imported rows will be determined automatically, taking into account the setting First row with data.
- Only on first reading in the session. If the flag is set, then the two previous settings will work only at the first reading after starting the program.

Data fields

On this tab, you can bind the data fields used in the program to the columns / fields / entities of the imported data and set other settings related to the data fields.

Relationship with columns / fields of source

Purpose of settings for data field:

Bind with column.
- By number. Column number (counting from 1) that is bound with the data field. You can specify multiple columns, separating them with a space. If you specify multiple columns, the values from them will be combined using the Value combiner string setting.
- By header. The source table header or the name of the entity / source field with which the data field is bound. You can specify several (maximum 3). When specifying multiple headers, the values from the source fields will be concatenated using the Value combiner string setting.
Keywords. Used if the Bind data fields to columns by keywords flag is set on the Data Read tab and the data fields are not bound to columns via column numbers or headers. When reading data, the data field will be automatically bound to the column according to the first partial match with one of the keywords / phrases. Words / phrases are placed in separate lines.

Settings of import / print from source

Purpose of settings for data field:

Value combiner string. If the data field is bound with several columns, then the values of these columns will be combined into one line using this line between them.
Separating Symbols. Column can contain several values separated by any of symbols indicated here. Separating symbol can be used when enumerating bar codes, Transparency codes, set contents, goods folders (paths).
Column Color. In a temporary table with data in the import window.
Formula to get value. A formula to change the value in the data field. If left blank, the value of the data field will be imported unchanged.
This is an URL or path to a file / folder. If the flag is set, then this data field will be considered as containing the URL or the path to the file. If the data field contains "https:", "http:" or "ftp:", then this is the URL, otherwise the path to the file. If this is the path to the file and it is relative, then the path is converted to absolute on import (the path to the source file is used as the base path). If this is the path to the file and it contains only the file name, then the path is converted to full on import (the path to the source file is used as the base path).

Trim strings. If checked, the blank space (spaces and non-printable characters) will be removed from all imported string data from the beginning and the end.

Data Import

Settings for Import to Print Data

Here you can set specific import settings for the Print Data:

Clear Print Data. If the checkbox is set, then before the addition of products, the Print Data of the Label Printing section will be cleared.
Get missing data from the product catalog. In the process of importing each row, a product is searched in the product catalog.
If the product is found, then the missing data will be taken from the product data.
The search for the product is based on a set of data fields. If some data fields from the set are not imported or their values in some import line are empty (missing), then the remaining data fields are used to search for the product.

Import settings for the catalog "Products"

Here you can set specific import settings for the product catalog:

Import to folder. You can select the folder in which the products will be imported. If the folder is not selected, the products will be placed in the root of the product catalog.
- Use the current folder at the time of import. If the checkbox is set, The current folder of the catalog at the moment of pressing the Import button will be used as the folder for import.
- Search for existing products only in this folder. If the checkbox is set, the search for the products will be carried out only within the folder for import.
  If the checkbox is not set, the product search will be performed in the entire catalog.
  Ignored if the rule for updating / adding products Always Add.
Ignore imported product folders. When the checkbox is set, all products will be placed in the import folder, if it is selected, or at the root of the product catalog. The presence of folders in the Folder column of the Data for import table is ignored.
Rule for updating/adding products. The rule allows you to configure the logic for adding and / or updating the products.
- Update and Add New. Will search for existing products by key data fields specified in the Set of data fields to search for a product (record). If the products are found, they will be updated parameters that are not key, otherwise the products will be added.
- Always Add. Products will be added always (no search for existing products will be made).
- Only Update. Will search for existing products by key data fields specified in the Set of data fields to search for a product (record). If the products are found, they will update the parameters that are not key.
- Only Add New. Will search for existing products by key data fields specified in the Set of data fields to search for a product (record). If no items are found, they will be added.
  
  Search of the products is made in the whole catalog, if the Search for existing products only in this folder checkbox is not set. If the checkbox is set, the search for the products will be carried out within the folder for import.
  Ignored if the rule for updating / adding products Always Add.
Clear catalog before import. If the checkbox is set, then the product catalog will be completely cleared before importing products.
This operation is irreversible.
Add products to the Print Data. If the checkbox is set, then in addition to adding products to the catalog, these products will be added to the Print Data in the Label Printing section.
- Clear Print Data. If the checkbox is set, then before the addition of products, the Print Data of the Label Printing section will be cleared.
  Ignored if the Add products to the Print Data checkbox is not set.
- Rule for Add. The rule allows you to configure the logic for adding products to the Print Data of the Label Printing section.
  - Add all. All imported items will be added.
  - Add new only. Only those imported products will be added that were not in the product catalog (new products).
  - Add updated only. Only those imported products that already existed in the product catalog will be added.
Set of data fields to search for a product (record). In the process of importing each line, the product is searched for in the catalog to determine whether there is such a product or not.
If there is such a product, then it is updated with new data, if there is no such product, then it is added. You can set another rule for updating/adding products.
The search for an item is performed by a set of data fields. If some data fields from the set are not imported or their values in some import line are empty (missing), then the remaining data fields are used to search for an item.
Ignored if the Rule for updating/adding products is Always Add.

Filtering rows on import

To filter imported rows, set a condition by clicking the Set formula button. The condition will be checked on each imported row. The row will be imported if the condition statement is true or the formula returns 1.

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